Monday marked the beginning of the Maha Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival said to be the world's largest religious gathering.
The Indian government expects 400 million people, including many tourists from other countries, to join India's Hindus in taking a ceremonial bath in the Ganges and other sacred waters this year.
'Maha Kumbh Mela' means 'The Great Festival of the Sacred Pitcher'. According to the pitcher in question: legendwhich contained an elixir that gave the drinker immortality.
Hindu gods and demons fought fiercely over the pitcher, ending a brief interlude. cooperation They wrapped a giant serpent around a mountain and used it to stir the oceans of space until the elixir bubbled up. The avatar of Lord Vishnu managed to carry away a powerful pot containing an elixir to the heavens. As the pitcher was carried away, the four drops of the elixir of immortality fell to the earth, arriving at the sacred river site where the Maha Kumbh Mela ceremony was to take place.
Wresting a giant jug from an army of angry demons and carrying it to heaven with only four drops spilled is the most impressive feat, and the Maha Kumbh Mela festival celebrates the discipline and dedication required to accomplish it. I praise you. virtue. It is believed that soaking in holy water will purify your body and mind, reaching a state of grace known as “sacred water.'' Moksha It reflects the immortality contained in the sacred pitcher.
Festival participants have developed various ways to ritually express this concept over the centuries, including processions with singing, dancing, and carrying ceremonial weapons.
Maha Kumbh Mela is held every three years when Jupiter aligns with the Sun, Moon and stars in a particular configuration. The exact composition varies, but this year it just so happens that most auspicious An alignment of celestial bodies over a very long period of time – an alignment that occurs only once every 144 years.
The ceremonial site rotates between four sacred sites; landing This year, it will be held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. This event will be held from January 13th and is very important in itself holiday Known as Paush Purnima – till February 26th. Local authorities have built a temporary city to deal with the huge crowd, including 150,000 tents, and Prayagraj will be patrolled by about 40,000 police officers.
While the past few Sacred Baths have drawn huge crowds, this year's event is likely to be crowded. double 200 million people came To the 2019 festival. The last Maha Kumbh Mela bath held in Prayagraj in 2013 was attended by 120 million people. In comparison, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca is draw 2 to 3 million admirers.
This year's Maha Kumbh Mela will be attended by many social media celebrities and influencers who hope to increase the global profile of the event. Some of them are said On One India on Wednesday, they will be returning to India for the festival as a family for the first time in decades, or even centuries.
There is a strong political element to this religious festival, with India's nationalist ruling party, the BJP, hoping to project its power and influence by managing this huge event. The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh is Yogi Adityanath, a hardline Hindu monk, who renamed the city of Prayagraj in 2018 after its previous name was “Allahabad''. Obviously not chosen by Hindus..
The BJP is making strategic use An event to convey the message of 'social equality' or 'samajik samta' to castes in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party is featured prominently in pamphlets and posters for the Maha Kumbh Mela. One of the posters includes a photo of Prime Minister Modi washing the feet of a sanitation worker during the 2010 Kumbh Mela event.
prime minister modi won A tough re-election was held in June 2024 to retain the Prime Minister's position, but the BJP was unable to maintain control over Dalits (the “untouchables” at the bottom of India's traditional caste system) and Nishads (seated ones). people are A little expensive The success of the record-breaking Maha Kumbh Mela festival with the right political message (people who climb the caste ladder and often work as hunters and fishermen) could go a long way in helping the Bharatiya Janata Party heal its rifts. There is sex.