Held every 12 years in Prayagraj, six-week religious event expected to draw world\u2019s largest gathering of humanity
\nKumbh Mela: Tens of thousands of Hindus seeking absolution of their sins immersed themselves on Monday in freezing waters at the confluence of sacred rivers, as India began a six-week festival expected to draw the world\u2019s largest gathering of humanity.
\nHeld every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival, as the religious event in the city of Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh is called, attracts more than 400 million visitors, both Indians and tourists.
\nAs many as 40,000 police officers are on guard to provide security and help manage the crowds, while surveillance cameras equipped with artifical intelligence AI capabilities will ensure continuous monitoring.
\n\u201cIt is our festival,\u201d said ascetic Hazari Lala Mishra, who immersed himself before sunrise, which is considered an auspicious time. \u201c(It is) the only festival for hermits and monks, and we wait for it desperately.\u201d
\nAuthorities expect Monday\u2019s first ritual dip to draw more than 2.5 million visitors, followed by a \u201croyal bath\u201d on Tuesday reserved for ascetics, in the belief that it absolves them of sin and confers salvation from the cycle of life and death.
\nAmid public warnings to walk in lines without halting anywhere, droves of marchers headed for bathing positions to await sunrise at the confluence of the three holy rivers, the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati.
\nAdvancing towards the waters\u2019 edge in the winter morning fog, they chanted invocations in praise of the Hindu deities Lord Shiva and Mother Ganga, who personifies India\u2019s holiest river, Ganges.
\n\u201cI am excited but now scared because I didn\u2019t expect this crowd,\u201d said Priyanka Rajput, a fashion model from Delhi, the capital, who accompanied her mother. \u201cThis is my first Kumbh and I came here only because my mother is very spiritual.\u201d
\nThe Kumbh originates in a Hindu tradition that the deity Vishnu, known as the \u201cPreserver\u201d, wrested away from demons a golden pitcher that held the nectar of immortality. In a 12-day celestial fight for its possession, four drops of the nectar fell to earth, in the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, where the festival is held every three years in rotation.
\nThe Kumbh held once in 12 years in this cycle has the prefix \u2018maha\u2019 (great) as its timing renders it more auspicious and it attracts the largest crowds.
\nCrowd management
\nA showcase mix of religion, spirituality and tourism like no other in India, the event offers a test in crowd management for authorities in the world\u2019s most populous country who must balance arrangements for millions while retaining its sanctity.
\nA temporary city sprawling over 4,000 hectares (9,990 acres)has sprung up along the river banks with 150,000 tents to house the visitors, and is equipped with 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 restrooms and 99 parking lots.
\nAuthorities are also installing as many as 450,000 new electricity connections, with the Kumbh expected to consume more power than 100,000 urban apartments require in a month.
\nIndian Railways has added 98 trains to make 3,300 trips carrying festival visitors, in addition to regular services to Prayagraj.
\nUttar Pradesh is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which hopes a successful Kumbh Mela will burnish its efforts to reclaim and glorify India\u2019s religious and cultural symbols.
\nThat has been a plank for the party\u2019s Hindu base promised since Modi swept to power nationwide in 2014.
\n\u201cThe Maha Kumbh embodies India\u2019s timeless spiritual heritage and celebrates faith and harmony,\u201d Modi said in a post on media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Held every 12 years in Prayagraj, six-week religious event expected to draw world\u2019s largest gathering of humanity Kumbh Mela: Tens of thousands of Hindus seeking absolution of their sins immersed themselves on Monday in freezing waters at the confluence of sacred rivers, as India began a six-week festival expected to draw the world\u2019s largest gathering […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-455218","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n