The hi-tech concept of the Kumbh Mela, the 49-day long event is professionally planned as it is believed to be the largest peaceful gathering of pilgrims on earth, possibly attracting 120 million pilgrims and tourists.
January 21-23, 2019: Prayag Mela Authority with the Government of Uttar Pradesh Arrangements were made for about 5,000 such dignitaries to attend the Kumbh celebrations. Designated zones for 192 countries were also identified and the flag hoisting ceremony of their Head of Mission was planned in the month of December 2018. ,
UNESCO recognized Kumbh Mela as ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’. It has a history that goes back thousands of years from the era of Adi Shankaracharya. Intangible cultural heritage refers to the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as tools, objects, artefacts and associated cultural spaces – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage Huh. The grandeur of the cultural festival, celebrated in four different cities of India over a period of 12 years, attracts devotees seeking spirituality and nirvana, who bathe in the holy rivers Triveni Sangam to cleanse themselves of their sins. . The festival, held at Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, represents a syncretic set of rituals related to worship in India.
One of the most popular and astonishing mythological stories found in ancient Indian texts is the ‘Amrita Manthan’, the churning of the ocean for nectar, the celestial water of immortality. It tells that once the gods and demons agreed to churn the great ocean and share the treasure or ‘ratna’ that came out of it. The most precious treasure turned out to be ‘Amrita’, nectar. The gods and demons claimed it. One who drinks it will become immortal and therefore omnipotent and indestructible. The gods could never accept this. This resulted in a struggle between them for the vessel of Amrit (Amrit Kumbh), the elixir of immortality. Lord Vishnu disguised himself as Mohini, snatched the nectar from the demons. While running away from the demons, Lord Vishnu offered the nectar to his winged mount Garuda. The demons finally caught Garuda and in this struggle, some drops of nectar fell on Prayag, Nashik, Haridwar and Ujjain. Since then, Kumbh Mela has been held every 12 years alternately at all these places.
Prayag, preparations for the Kumbh Mela are in full swing. Prayag is known as the holiest pilgrimage center for Hindus, situated at the confluence of the Ganges (Triveni Sangam). The whole atmosphere is lit up by the sermons of the saints of different sects of Hinduism, Vedic hymns, mantras, beats of drums and bells, fragrance of incense and flowers, fully dispersed by the smoke of ‘havan kunds’ (fire places). Conch shells and the ringing of sacred bells. Apart from the bathing rituals, interpretations, traditional dances, devotional songs, programs based on mythology and prayers are also a unique feature of the event. Religious assemblies are held where discourses on principles are held by renowned saints and seers. An auspicious element of the festival is charitable acts of donating generously to the poor, helpless, saints and feeding cows or donating to the priest. Donations range from food and clothing to precious metals. The Kumbh Mela is perhaps the only event in the world where no invitation is required, yet millions of pilgrims gather to celebrate the holy event.
Devotees gathered have the option of offering their rituals and prayers or visiting various akhadas to get a comprehensive perspective on the ideology and philosophy of different sects of Hinduism. The akhadas came into existence during the eighth century AD when Adi Shankaracharya, with the aim of consolidating Hinduism and uniting those who follow various rituals, customs and beliefs, established Mahanirvani, Niranjani, Juna, Atal, Avahan, Agni and Ananda. Established seven akhadas called akhadas. The akhadas are divided into different camps according to the concept of God. The Shaiva akhadas are for the followers of Lord Shiva, the Vaishnava or Vairagi akhadas are for the followers of Lord Vishnu and the Kalpavasis are for the followers of Lord Brahma.
“Managing such a huge crowd and providing them transport, medical aid, food and accommodation, shelter and security facilities is a very challenging task. Health and sanitation services are also a big challenge in view of such a huge crowd.
There will be at least 5000 religious and social organizations to set up camps during the Kumbh. The number of pilgrims was about 12 crores. Maximum 3 crore pilgrims came on Mauni Amavasya. The number of Kalpavasis during the entire festival can be 20 lakhs. Prayag Mela Authority estimates that around 10 lakh foreign tourists visited during this period.
Police administration day to ensure smooth movement and safety of pilgrims coming not only from India but also from different countries of the world
Is active at night. Tents and other types of construction, development and renovation work is done for various police stations and residences. Police lines including police stations, women’s stations and police outposts are constructed at this site. Fire stations, fire posts and watch towers are to be set up during the Mela period. In the interest of better crowd management and monitoring, state-of-the-art Integrated Command and Control Centers are set up which keep an eye on every nook and corner. Thousands of cameras are installed to monitor the activities going on in the city and the fair area. A detailed action plan is prepared for disaster management. This includes deep water barricading, floating river lines, temporary fire stations and control towers. State-of-the-art equipment such as wireless/radio sets, fiber jetties, body worn cameras, drone cameras, etc. are arranged for deployment.
The infrastructure of tourism and culture department is being upgraded along with major tourist places at a cost of crores. Laser light and sound shows, facade lighting and packaged tours are organized by the department to provide pilgrims with an enriching experience about Indian art and culture. Thematic gates marking the approach roads and entrances to different areas and the city are also designed and developed. Tourist walks are planned for heritage, food, religious places etc. Cultural programs by the best artists/organizations are also assured during the Mela period adding to the attractions. Media centers are built in the Kumbh Mela area so that this program can be shown to the whole world. All the centers are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies.
The Government of India closely monitors the Kumbh functions on a regular basis. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Allahabad: A major infrastructure project worth Rs 1,388.28 crore for widening of 116 roads in Allahabad and its surrounding areas has been taken up by the State Public Works Department for smooth movement of traffic during the Kumbh Mela. Over 125,000 iron checkered plates will be used to construct 600 km of roads in the Mela area, besides developing 22 pontoon bridges using 1,795 pontoons. Similarly, seven ghats were developed and riverfront protection work done by the State Irrigation Department at a cost of Rs 47.61 crore. The Prayag Development Authority has also got a sum of Rs 298.35 crore for strengthening and widening of 34 city roads including redesign, renovation and beautification work at 32 different traffic junctions. The UP State Bridge Corporation has constructed around 10 Road-Over Bridges (ROBs) with a budget allocation of ₹501.89
crore.
The Government of India is closely monitoring the Kumbh functions on a regular basis. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is also required to reconstruct and upgrade the Prayag-Pratapgarh Highway, Prayag-Allahabad Highway and Varanasi-Prayag Highway for smooth movement of traffic during the Kumbh Mela.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been sensitive enough to monitor each and every arrangement to demonstrate political and administrative capability.
Tags: Kumbh national culturalism, UNESCO recognized Kumbh Mela, Allahabad, Haridwar Ujjain Nashik kumbh, Adi Shankaracharya, bathe in Trivenisangam, Amrita Manthan, Ocean Churning , Immortality Nector, Lord Vishnu -Mohini, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Hi-Tech Kumbh Festival, Hindutva-Hinduism