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RELIGION:
KUMBHA MELA
The
Making of Maha Mela
All roads
lead to Allahabad over the next six weeks as 70 million devotees converge
at the world's largest congregation of Hindus
By
S. Kalidas in Allahabad
Since
October last year, mela adhikari Jiwesh Nandan has had little sleep.
The man responsible for organising the Maha Kumbha Mela 2001 is preparing
to face what might well be the biggest challenge of his career when the
mela swings to a start this week. But the principal secretary to the Uttar
Pradesh Government is not overly perturbed: "I only pray that there
is no major mishap on the main bathing dates-January 14 and 24-when we
expect anywhere between 15 million and 25 million people to take the ritual
dip. We, of course, are prepared for all eventualities."
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| Twinkling
lights at the venue beckon the faithful |
With over
70 million pilgrims, travellers, mediamen and others expected to attend
the mela at the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna in Allahabad between
January 9 and February 21, this religious mega-event has been described
as the "largest gathering of people at one time, in one place, anywhere
in the world".
The Kumbha
Mela is held every six (Ardha Kumbha) and 12 (Purna Kumbha) years in four
cities. Hindu devotees, called kalpavasis, congregate in these places
to lead a ritualised pious existence for 44 days, aspiring to absolve
themselves of their sins and being freed from the cycle of birth and death.
According
to Hindu mythology, when the gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean
it yielded many celestial gifts. The gods took them all except the last
offering-a kumbha (pot) of nectar or amrit-for which the demons decided
to give them fight. Lord Vishnu then took the form of Mohini, an apsara
who bedazzled the demons with her charms long enough for the gods to wrest
the coveted pot. Before the nectar was shared by all the gods, making
them immortal, the pot was taken to four places-Allahabad, Hardwar, Ujjain
and Nashik. At each of these places a few drops of nectar fell on the
ground, marking them as venues for the Kumbha Mela. Bathing in these cities
on auspicious dates is symbolic of partaking of the nectar.
As per the
celestial time-scale, each day of the gods is believed to equal 12 mortal
years. Hence, the Purna Kumbha is held every 12 years and the Ardha Kumbha
every six years. This year's mela is being regarded as a momentous event
as it is the first Maha Kumbha-which occurs every 144 (12 x 12) years-since
1857. Besides, this is the first major Kumbha Mela since the advent of
the electronic and satellite era, with over 24 international media organisations
vying to cover it in print, on television and the Internet.
Among others,
the BBC, CNN and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation will be there. Channel
4 of Britain has flown in a crew of 50 (including 26 Indians) to set up
an amazing on-the-spot studio to broadcast a daily five-minute bulletin
"live from the Kumbha", plus, of course, longer documentaries
over the weekends.
The logistics
of organising an event of this scale are staggering. With a budget of
Rs 165 crore, Nandan and his team have turned the vast sandy basin at
the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna into an organised tented city.
The Maha Kumbha Nagari is replete with 140 km of makeshift roads, a 100-bed
hospital, over a dozen 20-bed primary health centres, special police headquarters,
over 200 police posts, and marketplaces, all spread over 1,200 hectares.
Around 1,000
religious and cultural organisations have set up camps, each with its
own electricity connection, drinking water and sewage disposal facilities.
As many as 15,000 streetlights connected by over 450 km of electric cables
will provide the lighting; 17,000 toilets and 50,000 trench latrines will
take care of the sanitation and 7,000 sweepers will deal with the litter
and garbage problem. To ensure proper connectivity, 5,000 temporary telephone
connections have been provided, besides countless cellular phones and
other wireless communication devices.
Security
precautions are equally elaborate and stringent. Says Additional Superintendent
of Police Pushpak Jyoti: "We shall employ sniffer dogs and use night-vision
binoculars, besides regularly checking all the roads, ghats and bridges
for mines and explosives." The army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police,
the Border Security Force and the Intelligence Bureau have all been roped
in to assure safety, especially in light of perceived terrorist threats.
The dogs
and devices notwithstanding, Nandan and his assistants are unlikely to
sleep easy for a while yet. The sadhus are often easily provoked and pitched
battles among rival sects are not uncommon. And as the tented city begins
to swell with millions drawn by the desire for salvation, the organisers'
capabilities shall be put to the ultimate test.
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METRO TODAY
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the Government brings in more people and mops more money in taxes, it
must be seen to be rewarding those who come forth and pay up, writes India
Today Associate Editor V. Shankar Aiyar in 