‘Maha Kumbh 2025 Will Be A Gem In The Crown Of Sanatan Culture’
Indra Kumar Singh, a retired government engineer and a native of Prayagraj, says that the preparations and dedication to hold the festival are unprecedented. His views:
I consider myself fortunate to have been born in this Sangam (confluence) city. I was raised here, studied here and worked here too. Thus, I have been a witness to the Kumbh celebrations for many decades. I can vouch for it that this year the preparations made by the government are unprecedented, better planned and at a much larger scale than in the past.
I have no doubt in my mind that Maha Kubh 2025 will turn out to be the most organized and spectacular event of this century. Not just the Mela Kshetra (a temporary Kumbh township brought up at the Sangam of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati), the entire city has adorned a new and rejuvenated look – be it roads, parks, cleanliness, walls murals or the entire public infrastructure. The city is abuzz and thrilled as if we would be entering in a new era on this festival.
Let me give an example from my own locality. In the last Maha Kumbh which was held in 2013, I had to literally walk about 30 km to reach the Sangam venue to perform the holy dip ritual. Because of that experience, I avoided the holy dip on other holy Kumbh congregation. However, this time a corridor has been constructed from the Ghat of river Ganga (that is adjacent to the colony where I live) to the Sangam and e-vehicles have already started plying on this corridor to ferry devotees and tourists.
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I would also like to recall a horrific incident that took place due to the sheer negligence of the then (Samajwadi Party) government at one such festive occasion. There are two interstate bus terminals situated in the heart of the city. Buses for across the state and other parts of the country operate from these two terminals. During the previous Maha Kumbh, the government, even while the festival was being held, abruptly shut down these terminals and shifted the buses towards the outskirts of the city.
This misjudgement caused untold hardships to the devotees visiting or leaving Prayagraj for and after the dip. The devotees were then forced to turn towards the central railway station and since the platforms were already packed to capacity, a stampede took place resulting in the death of about 50 devotees. The apathetic government of the day could not care less.
This year the story is different. We have a sensitive government in place and I look forward to take part in the event. Media reports say the budget of this Mela is three times more than that of 2013 (about ₹6,000 crore). In the leadership of CM Adityanath Yogi, preparations for Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj have been in full swing to provide a grand experience to the saints and devotees. A record number of over 40 crore devotees are expected to take the holy dip on the auspicious occasion that will take place after a period of 144 years!
We, as the natives of the city and true Illahabadis, have also resolved to take up the moral and social responsibility and extend our support in all possible form to make the event a great success. I am sure this Maha Kumbh will prove to be a shining gem in the crown of India and our Sanatan festive culture.
As told to Rajat Rai
