
PRAYAGRAJ: At the ground zero of Kumbh, Malwa’s Baba Yashwant Swaraj goggled, high, and trident-wielding is having a ball. He says he is “wi-fi Insta famous”, and pats the top of his trident on which he is convinced his guru, having shed his material form, sits as a flower. He gets a crowd but after a few minutes it moves on. At every bend in Kumbh, everyone is looking for a spectacle to match the hype.
Saurabh Basu, an advocate at the Allahabad High Court, says that for ages, there has been no business in Allahabad as profitable as the Kumbh. “It was so when it was a Mughal city; now when it’s Prayagraj, it gives the riverine economy a boost.”
For the 40 crore devotees expected to land in Prayagraj for the Kumbh, said to be the largest congregation anywhere in the world, the main target are the Shahi Snans, the first of which is on January 14 (Makar Sankranti). And there have been early movers, who have already made themselves home in the tent-city. While some seek spiritual enlightenment, others are drawn to the luxury and convenience offered by the Kumbh Mela. Somesh Tripathy, an advertising personnel from Noida, is here for the holy dip. So is Puspendra Singh from nearby Pratapgarh.
Judy, a New Yorker, has opted for a `3-4 lakh per night tent, complete with yoga facilities and a stunning view of the Sangam. “The moment I saw those cottages I knew I had to be here,” she said.
In contrast, the kalpavaasis, or short-term dwellers leading an austere life at the Kumbh, can stay in tents free of charge. “There is convenience at the Kumbh for every class. If God has given you wealth, you stay in luxury tents,” says Anand Shukla, a priest from Mumbai, whose father did kalpavaas during Kumbh in the past.
Ripples of discontent away from Sangam
Away from the Sangam, there are ripples of discontent in how the city has been hijacked by the event, but those voices are muted. Allahabad’s liberals, who had spoken up in 2018 when the city’s name was changed to Prayagraj, which they felt highlighted only the spiritual identity of the city and not its historical, literary, legal and civilisational vastness, now balance their criticism with developmental gains.
They weigh the merits of a six-lane bridge that will connect the city to Pratapgarh and UP’s capital Lucknow, and four railway bridges in the city that have eased traffic movement against the shortcoming of “thousands of trees that have been cut at Sangam.”
“Daan and kalpavaas comprise the core spirit of the Kumbh. The satsang, (devotional gatherings), the shastrarth parampara (the tradition of disputation among various spiritual-philosophical schools) – all have been eclipsed by this attempt to glamourise Hinduisim,” said a government official on condition of anonymity.
This Kumbh is a religious, political and corporate affair, says Pranay Krishna, professor, Allahabad University. From the airport to inside the city, the messaging has been of power play.
Even cabinet ministers of other BJP-ruled states are expected to be here for the event. The disapora is expected in large numbers as well. Those who cannot be here can access “Digital Kumbh” from the comfort of their homes on their laptops, he said.
The graffiti on the walls, however, needs some supervision; many are left incomplete at prominent zebra crossings. Gond art, Mary Kom, the Royal Bengal Tiger — with no known connection to the Kumbh -- are found drawn close to the graffiti on walls around the city’s well-known landmarks of Patthar Girja, the Allahabad HIgh Court and the Allahabad University’s Muir Hall.
Baba Awasthi, a social activist, said “Inside the city, people are upset, not angry.” Indeed, sudden roadblocks, diversion of traffic due to VIP movement, and the hunt for the elusive ‘pass’ that will allow you to be driven to the Sangam have miffed many and may keep them away from the Kumbh.
The waiter at El Chico, the city’s fine dining restaurant that now sports a teal décor, bulbous gold ceiling lamps, a Kumbh panorama painting and a menu with some of the oldies phased out, however, can risk no ambiguity. One overheard him tell a customer: “It’s just called minced lamb cutlet now. It’s the old mutton chop, just the way we used to make it.”
Mahakumbh decoded
Total area 10,000 acres
Budget Rs 75,000 cr
State’s budget Rs 54,000 cr
Centre’s budget Rs 21,000 cr
Total Snans
Six (Jan 13, Jan 14, Jan 29, Feb 3, Feb 12, Feb 26)
Each snan takes off with bathing of saints and seers of 13 different Akharas
13 Akharas divided into 3 categories Sanyasi, Bairagi and Udaseen
Total ghats: 41
Expected footfall on snan days 2 crore
On Jan 29 snan: 8-10 crore