India is preparing to live to the rhythm of the largest religious gathering on the planet: the Hindu pilgrimage of the Kumbh Mela. One figure is enough to account for the (dis)measure of the event, which takes place every twelve years in Prayagraj, in the north of the country: until February 26, the organizers expect 400 million faithful, or four times more than for the previous edition, in 2013.
A few hours before the announced start of the celebrations, Monday January 13, at dawn, the confluence of the sacred rivers of the Ganges and the Yamuna is already overflowing with pilgrims, who flock there in a colorful crowd. No matter the rigors of the Indian winter, with barely more than 10 degrees at night, those in a hurry are already entering the water, which is more than cool. The highlight of the Kumbh Mela, the bath at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Sarasvati river allows, according to Hindu tradition, to wash away one’s sins and free oneself from the cycle of rebirth and reincarnation.
Beyond the area designed for bathers, an endless line of boats waits in search of devotees to transport to the exact point of confluence of the three rivers. “Hundreds of boatmen and sailors from all over the state came with their boats to transport the pilgrims”explains one of them, Ramheet Nishad. A little set back from the banks, it is a town of wood and scrap metal which grew up to satisfy the basic needs of the faithful.
Restaurants, shops, toilets and above all a sea of tents, as far as the eye can see… The wealthiest have had comfortable, even luxurious models set up, while the most modest have cobbled together a makeshift shelter under simple tarpaulins. In the middle of the crowd, monks in orange saris – the color of Hinduism – and ascetics with their bodies entirely covered in ashes distribute blessings without restraint.
Supporters of Hindu ultranationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in power since 2014, did not miss the opportunity of this gathering for much more political proselytism. The walls of the temporary city are flanked by posters celebrating the work of the government, with an integrated QR code for those who want details. “The fact that non-Hindu businesses are banned shows that the Kumbh Mela no longer has anything religious about it. It has become a political event”ensures with The Tribune the journalist and writer Dhirendra Jha, author of a book on relations between nationalists and Hindu religion.
In the alleys, the police patrol day and night to, according to a spokesperson, “ensure maximum security” to the tens of millions of faithful expected until the end of February.
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