Thousands and thousands of Hindu devotees, mystics and holy women and men from all throughout India are flocking to the northern metropolis of Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela festival, touted because the world’s largest spiritual gathering.
Not less than 400 million persons are anticipated on the confluence of the three holy rivers – the Ganges, Yamuna, and the legendary, invisible Saraswati – over the subsequent 45 days, in response to officers.
An enormous floor alongside the banks of the rivers has been transformed right into a sprawling tent metropolis geared up with greater than 3,000 kitchens and 150,000 restrooms. Divided into 25 sections and spreading over 40 sq. kilometres (15 sq. miles), the tent metropolis additionally has housing, roads, electrical energy, water, communication towers and 11 hospitals. Murals depicting tales from Hindu scriptures are painted on town partitions.
Indian Railways has additionally launched greater than 90 particular trains that can make practically 3,300 journeys in the course of the competition to move devotees, in addition to common trains.
About 50,000 safety personnel are stationed within the metropolis to keep up regulation and order and for crowd administration. Greater than 2,500 cameras, some powered by AI, will ship crowd motion and density data to 4 central management rooms, the place officers can shortly deploy personnel to keep away from stampedes.
Over the subsequent six weeks, Hindu pilgrims on the web site will participate in elaborate rituals, hoping to start a journey to attain Hindu philosophy’s final aim: the discharge from the cycle of rebirth.
The competition has its roots in a Hindu custom that claims the god Vishnu wrested a golden pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from demons. Hindus consider that a couple of drops fell within the cities of Prayagraj, Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar, the 4 locations the place the Kumbh competition has been held for hundreds of years.
