Convergence of glorious contradictions

The Maha Kumbh Mela, which commenced in Prayagraj this week, is a symbol of everything that makes India – spirituality and materiality, individuality and collectivity, tradition and modernity, past and present, and other apparent contradictions. These contradictions disappear at the confluence of holy rivers in the great congregation that has taken place for thousands of years. Every person who makes it to the Kumbh goes there as an individual to cleanse the self but does that in a collective act with millions of others. The Kumbh tradition acquires modern idioms and styles with every passing edition and the past flows into the present. It also shows that spirituality is not an ethereal experience beyond oneself but a journey and an act of dipping into the river in time. It is also an expression of simple faith, uncorrupted by meaning and an act of discovery of India in all its complexities and contradictions.

The Kumbh Mela is a huge logistical and organisational challenge with over 450 million expected attendees, including 1.5 million foreign tourists. To accommodate so many people and to provide them the amenities, such as healthcare, is not easy. The UP government has allocated Rs 7,000 crore to create a state-of-the-art temporary city spread over 4,000 acres, with 1,50,000 tents, AI-enabled surveillance, and enhanced security measures. it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the welfare and security of all the pilgrims. In the last mela in 2013, a stampede left at least 30 people dead. The state will also benefit much from the mela. It is estimated that the event will inject not less than Rs 2 lakh crore into the state’s economy, and will give a major boost to local businesses and tourism. It can also improve the potential of India’s religious and cultural tourism and enhance its soft power.

The Kumbh Mela has always been known for its pluralistic ethos, inclusivity, and tolerance. But the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad has announced that non-Sanatanis will not be allowed to do business at the mela venue. It has also sought to change the Urdu words associated with the mela. Some activists have tried to enforce the dictum and removed the stalls of those who failed to prove that they are Sanatanis. Such acts go against the values and ideals represented by the mela. The police have turned a blind eye to the incidents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in his Mann Ki Baat programme last month expressed the hope that the Kumbh Mela would foster national unity. There can be no unity and equality where there is discrimination and intolerance.