What exactly happens at Kumbh Mela?

Nearly 3,000 years since its inception, Kumbh Mela is the oldest known festival in the world. It is celebrated four times every 12 years, and the dates for the festival are decided based on astrological camculations. This year, the Kumbh Mela, which began on January 15^th, will run till March 4^th. A total of 2,800 crore has been earmarked for the 2019 edition of Kumbh Mela.

This year, it will be held at Prayagraj at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati in Uttar Pradesh, one of the four locations that the site keeps rotating between. During this period, a pop-up city is built, and thousands of tents are set up to accommodate visitors and pilgrims who flock the site. In 2013, the Kumbh Mela attracted a crowd of 10 crore, a turnout even bigger than that of Spain’s Tomatina festival or the Rio De Janeiro carnival.

The most significant ritual performed at Kumbh is the bathing ritual, in which pilgrims submerge themselves in the holy waters, to ‘cleanse’ themselves of their sins. The most important highlight of the bathing ritual is the ‘Shahi Snan’ in which saints, disciples and various religious orders take part. Only after the Shahi Snan is performed can the pilgrims take the holy bath. It is belief that people will get the added advantage of the essence of holy deeds and thoughts of the saints by taking the dip after them.

Major Attractions

There are a number of folk and cultural events to provide visitors a glimpse into Indian art and culture. Visitors will be treated to musical performances, and traditional and folk dances on a daily basis from January 2019 onwards. Ganga Pandal will be the mega structure among all pandals for hosting all the major events.

There are 25 temporary thematic gates constructed using ancient methods, which will mark the approach roads to the Mela Area and entrance to various sectors in the Mela Area. The idea behind these strategically placed gates is to increase the aesthetic value of the Kumbh Mela. Each gate will have its own identity, will be strongly rooted in the local context and deeply inspired by the culture, tradition and socio-religious factors.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh made provisions for a Laser Light and Sound Show that was operational from December 2018 onwards at the Prayagraj Fort Wall.

Keeping in tune with the Digital India campaign, visitors and pilgrims can witness a 360-degree virtual reality world during Kumbh 2019. 10 stalls facilitating the pilgrims have been especially set up at the prime locations in the Kumbh Mela area. One can watch the Kumbh 2019 videos and experience using a special VR headset. These stalls will show videos of major events such as Peshwai (Grand procession of Akhadas), auspicious bathing days, Ganga aarti, and multiple special footage from this grand festival of faith and harmony.

Important facts

This year, upto 12 crore people are expected to be present on the day of the main bath. 1,20,000 eco-friendly toilets have been installed for visitors. 20,000 dustbins have been deployed to collect solid waste. The mela area is lit up using 40,700 led lights. 54 parking areas have been arranged to accommodate over 5 lakh cars. 524 shuttle buses and 1,000 CNG autos have been arranged to ply visitors around. 14 temporary hospitals have been constructed, and 243 doctors have been appointed in case of any emergencies. 50,000 police personnel have been allocated to maintain law and order. 22 pontoon bridges have been constructed for pilgrims to cross the river.