Maha Kumbh : Incredible, Unimaginable, Unique
At the planet’s biggest religious congregation in Prayagraj, more than 3.5 crore pilgrims and ascetics had taken a holy dip at the Triveni confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati by Tuesday evening. Never before in world history had such a humungous multitude of pilgrims congregated at one place to offer religious prayers. For the rest of the world, this was incredible, unimaginable and unique.
The number of pilgrims who took a holy dip on Makar Sankranti can equal the population of several countries. Experts from big universities and management institutes have reached Prayagraj to study the complex nature of crowd management made for the event to pass off smoothly, without a hitch. Purna Maha Kumbh will continue for 45 days in Prayagraj and there are two more big ‘Amrit Snans’ pending, when more crowds will congregate. By January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), the number may cross six crore.
If one adds the population of 52 countries, it will touch 3.5 crore. The number of pilgrims who took a holy dip on Tuesday was more than this figure. Managing a huge crowd of 3.5 crore is not a matter of joke. Adequate police force was deployed to control crowd movement. I personally feel that one cannot control such a humungous crowd only with the help of technology. It needs careful planning, better use of human resources, correct calculation about number of expected pilgrims, arrangements according to needs, correct analysis about emergency situations, and last, but not the least, strong will power. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath did this because of his strong determination and will power.
The arrangements for Kumbh Mela had begun two years ago. Yogi personally visited Prayagraj frequently, kept a personal and close watch on each and every requirement, posted his most capable officers at the venue, did proper planning, and the result was : the first ‘Amrit Snan’ on Tuesday passed off peacefully without a hitch. The credit for this goes to Yogi Adityanath’s government, his officers, police personnel, volunteers and ‘safai karmacharis’. The work is not yet over. More than a month and half are left, and one prays that everything passes off peacefully.
For the pilgrims and ascetics, it was an experience of a lifetime. The heady atmosphere at the dawn of Makar Sankranti in Prayagraj, with hundreds of Naga sadhus walking with swords, spears, tridents and maces in their hand, followed by their ‘akhada’ chiefs and ‘Pithadheeswaras’, was a sight to see. Helicopters were arranged to sprinkle flowers on the ascetics.
Maha Kumbh: World’s Biggest Event Ever
On January 13 this year, the world will witness the beginning of the world’s biggest event ever at the holy Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, where more than 40 crore devotees are expected to take a holy dip at the confluence of two rivers, Ganga and Yamuna.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is personally supervising the mega arrangements. A sprawling township has come up on an area of nearly 5,000 acres, ready with 1.5 lakh tents, 1.5 lakh green toilets manned by 15,000 safai karmacharis, 1,240 km long pipe lines have been laid, and more than 50,000 tap water connections have been provided. Two km away from Sangam, a huge space has been kept for parking more than 20,000 vehicles. Two hospitals, one with 100 beds and another with 220 beds have already started working. 92 new roads have been laid, and the Sangam township is dazzling with 67,000 LED lights and 2,000 solar lights.
The entire township has been divided into 25 sectors. The Sangam township has been declared a separate district, having its own district magistrate and Superintendent of Police. The first ‘shahi snan’ (main bathing) will take place on January 13 and the last ‘shahi snan’ will be on February 26. Twelve new bathing ghats (banks) have been built and a riverfront has been developed over 12.5 km area. Chequered plates have been laid on an area of 550 sq km to ensure that the devotees do not have to walk in mud.
Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday conducted a survey of the Kumbh Mela preparations and expressed his satisfaction. Thirty pontoon bridges will be built, out of which 28 are ready. More than 50,000 security personnel from UP Police and para-military forces will be deployed. They will be commanded by 218 IPS officers. Underwater drones, that can go 100 metre deep, will be used for the first time in Kumbh Mela. Four central commands will work in tandem with a control room. Nearly 350 experts will monitor the areas that will draw huge crowds.
Kumbh Mela takes place after every 12 years. This time, it has been named Purna Maha Kumbh, because it will occur after 144 years (12 Maha Kumbh Melas multiplied by 12). Astrologers and Sanatan spiritual leaders have described this as the most auspicious occasion. Yogi Adityanath is leaving no stone unturned to make this mega event a success.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also involved in finetuning the arrangements. Modi has advised use of digital technology to project the rich heritage of Kumbh Melas. The aim is to attract youths towards India’s ancient heritage. The broader objective is to convey India’s message of devotion and faith to the rest of the world. It is surely going to be a spectacular event.