The Mahakumbh at Prayagraj

I was undecided about going to Mahakumbh 2025, more so after the stampede on 29 January. I am a firm believer in God, so I desperately wanted to take a dip in the sacred waters of the Ganga.

- SUSHMA SAKSENA

I was undecided about going to Mahakumbh 2025, more so after the stampede on 29 January. I am a firm believer in God, so I desperately wanted to take a dip in the sacred waters of the Ganga. Also, as a rational person, I was curious to know about how Prayagraj, a B-class city with a population of 16-17 lakhs could accommodate 2 to 3 crore people every day. I wanted to feel the atmosphere, the divinity of the Mahakumbh, and see the fabled mela and akharas. So, against the advice of friends, I booked a ticket to Prayagraj.

Going to the Kumbh mela is a once in a lifetime experience. With the sole aim of reaching the Sangam, crores of devotees walk many kilometres, noiselessly, engrossed in themselves - oblivious to the entire world. The danger of getting lost in the Kumbh, the staple of Bollywood movies is very real (but all lost people were reunited this time); you could see entire families holding on to a shawl or dupatta. Sometimes, you could see 40-50 people inside a rope enclosure, guarded by 3-4 sturdy young men - all carrying their belongings on their heads. They would keep on walking for miles without break. Everyone will stop together, and have the simple homemade food they carry, rest for a while, and then resume walking.

Watching the sea of humanity around us, we reached the Kumbh Mela; with lakhs of people on the road our progress was quite slow. After reaching our tents, we went out to have a look at the Mela. Keeping the comfort of devotees in mind, the Prayagraj Administration had thoughtfully covered the sand road with iron sheets. There were crowds everywhere, but there was no pushing, shoving, shouting or fighting. Though the Mela had been going on for a month, there was no filth. The cleaning staff was doing a good job; there were hundreds of toilets near the road, but no bad smells assailed us.