The world’s largest religious gathering, the Mahakumbh Mela, is underway in Prayagraj, India. The Mahakumbh Mela is held every 12 years. The Indian government expects 400 million people to visit the fair this year.
The fair began on January 13, just a day before Makar Sankranti. On the second day, the religious rituals of the Kumbh Mela began with the first ‘Shahi Snan’. This year, the fair will continue till February 26.
According to Hindu rituals, Naga monks were the first to take a royal bath. Then other saints and common people take a bath at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the now invisible Saraswati rivers.
According to the belief of a section of Hindus, going to the Kumbh Mela and bathing in a particular confluence of the river can achieve ‘Moksha.
On the first day, about 60 lakh people took a bath at the confluence, according to the fair authorities.
The entire Uttar Pradesh administration, including the city of Prayagraj, has arranged tents for free accommodation, as well as various luxurious arrangements.
Which includes up to one lakh rupees per day house rent.
Hundreds of special trains are being run from major cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, while the Uttar Pradesh public transport corporation is running around 7,000 buses.
Many people are also calling the Kumbh Mela ‘Digital Kumbh’.
Special apps for the fair, QR codes, Google maps, finding missing relatives and friends, bus-train schedules and almost all the works are being done digitally.
The Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years in succession in Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik and Prayagraj.
According to the belief of a section of Hindus, there is such a combination of planets and stars this year, which came after 144 years.
According to Hindu mythology, during the churning of the ocean, there was a fight between the demons and the gods over ‘nectar’.
There is a belief in Hinduism that immortality can be obtained by drinking this ‘nectar’.
A few drops of nectar fell in Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain during the battle.
It is also mentioned in the Puranas that it took 12 days for the pot of nectar to reach heaven from earth.
And according to the calculation of one day of the gods, a period of one year. That is why Purna Kumbh is organized once in 12 years.
Digital Mahakumbh
To facilitate the devotees gathered for this year’s Mahakumbh, the Uttar Pradesh government is using digital technology along with all kinds of services.
A separate app has been developed for the fair, chatbots have been made with artificial intelligence, all kinds of information is available by scanning QR codes.
Digital technology is also being used to find the missing in the fair.
The Mahakumbh app is available in 11 languages.
From planning the journey to the details of where the ‘tent city’ has been built, tourist guides, business and emergency services – everything is available through this app.