Maha Kumbh ends on note of devotion, tradition, techology, some controversy

PRAYAGRAJ, Feb 26: The Maha Kumbh, billed to be the world’s largest gathering, ends on Wednesday as it began 45 days ago with lakhs of devotees surging towards the waters of the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, for a dip on the auspicious day of Shivratri.
The mega religious carnival wound to a close in a montage of images of the stampede that killed at least 30 people.
The devout across every spectrum taking a dip in the belief it would cleanse their sins, huge crowds jostling not just at the Sangam but also stations and bus stands in north India and many a political slugfest over contested numbers and how clean the waters were.
On the last day of Maha Kumbh, the latest count of devotees at 4 pm was recorded at over 1.32 crore, while the overall figures have already surged past 65 crore, according to the Uttar Pradesh government, which is hosting the Maha Kumbh on the banks of the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top ministers and film stars were among those who went to the Kumbh.
It was a gathering of the faithful and believers but also of those driven by interest in the fabled Kumbh, where religion meets culture, where spirituality and tradition fuse, and where AI and modern-day technology this time blended with ancient stories of gods and miracles.
The stars were aligned too with seers claiming that celestial permutations and combinations during the event took place after 144 years.
The religious fair witnessed unprecedented security measures, including anti-drone systems and AI-enabled cameras.
To man the Mahakumbh Nagar’s UP’s makeshift 76th district set up for the event.It was spread across 40 hectares which remained abuzz with activity 24×7 over the past six weeks.As tourists and pilgrims from distant corners began returning home and vendors, from across the country, readied to shut shop, many were seen trying to take a dip before the Kumbh finally ends.
The ritual bath is at the centre of the pilgrimage. Devout Hindus believe the coveted sacred dip at the Sangam leads to ‘moksha’ or salvation, especially during the once-in-12-years planetary alignments.
“To me, the Maha Kumbh would conclude when the last of the devotee has taken the dip.
Put differently, you can say that the mela would end with the start of the new day at ‘Brahm Muhurt’ or early morning on Thursday,” Chidanand Saraswati, the president of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, who is camping at Prayagraj, told PTI.Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh showcased India’s age-old spiritual traditions, from the grand processions of akharas (monastic orders) and the ash smeared Naga sadhus, to modern tech-savvy babas, all of whom camped by the Sangam banks, drawing devotees from across the globe.
The second Amrit snan on January 29 is when chaos and tragedy — broke out.
The stampede near Sangam banks, leading to 30 deaths allegedly due to overcrowding.
The tragedy triggered a political slugfest with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slamming the Yogi Adityanath-led government to say it was a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ and the BJP hitting back As millions took dip in the confluence of rivers, the water quality also came under question amid claims of high levels of faecal bacteria and total coliform.
Chief Minister Adityanath rejected the claims and said in the state assembly that Ganga water at the Sangam was fit for both “snan and aachman” (bathing and ritual drinking).
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was among those who paid a special visit to the Mela and took a holy dip too.
Besides showbiz stars, business tycoons, including Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, along with family members visited the mela.
Laura Powell, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, British rock band Coldplay’s Chris Martin, also came for the dip.Actor-turned-sadhvi Mamata Kulkarni, anointed as a mahamandelshwashar of the Kinnar Akhara also hogged limelight, triggering a controversy
Following objection from some seers, leading to her resignation, which was later withdrawn.
Social media influencer turned ‘sadhvi’ Harsha Richhariya, flower seller Monalisa Bhosle from Madhya Pradesh, and Abhay Singh famously known as ‘IIT Baba’, also made headlines at the Kumbh.
But this Kumbh, as all others before this, was about the common person, the many millions who forgot about everyday conveniences to meet their tryst with faith.
Maha Kumbh draws over 66.21 crore devotees
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hailed Maha Kumbh as a “grand confluence of faith, unity and equality”.
The world’s largest spiritual gathering neared its conclusion on Wednesday with the auspicious ‘Mahashivratri Snan’ (holy dip) at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj.
In a post in Hindi on social media platform X, Adityanath said the 45-day event that began on 13 January on Paush Purnima witnessed a record-breaking footfall of over 66.21 crore devotees from across India and the world. (PTI)