The show goes on: India’s Maha Kumbh Mela draw millions on auspicious date

FRANCE 24 English

On today's show, we explain the significance of the Maha Kumbh Mela. The festival is still underway in northern India and has continued uninterrupted even after a deadly stampede. The Hindu festival is expected to attract an estimated 450 million people over the course of 6 weeks. Produced by Amanda Alexander and Marina Pajovic.  Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00It's time now for our entrepreneur segment. Today we are focusing on the Maha Kumbh Mela that's

00:04underway in northern India. That massive festival began in January, it ends in two weeks, and it is

00:11the largest gathering on earth. We're going to talk more about this with our Delano D'Souza,

00:15who joins me on set. Delano, why are we talking about this today?

00:18Hi, Jeannie. Well, today is one of the six more auspicious dates of the festival,

00:23and that's what makes it important due to tonight's full moon. It is believed that the

00:27soul is cleansed when bathing in the confluence of three rivers, the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the

00:32Saraswati under the full moon. The Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years, but this time around,

00:38the event is more significant as the Maha Kumbh, or Great Kumbh, is held once every 144 years.

00:45Astrology features prominently in ancient Vedic beliefs, which is why some dates are more auspicious

00:50than others. The Kumbh is also a place to ask questions as the festival is supposed to lead

00:55you down a path of wisdom. Today, India's richest family, the Ambani's, took a dip in the river.

01:00Remember the family from last year with the crazy wedding? Well, they weren't alone this Wednesday.

01:05Within the span of four hours, it is estimated that some 10 million people did exactly the same

01:10thing. But it isn't just Indians in attendance. Tourists from Argentina, Spain, Israel, and all

01:16around the world have been spotted at the Kumbh. Now, on Access Asia, I interviewed India's permanent

01:21representative to UNESCO and asked him what the festival's significance was all about.

01:51Now, over 800 million dollars was poured in to organize the festival and the state government in

02:09Uttar Pradesh is expected to earn some 2.9 billion dollars in revenue. Now, given the enormous scale

02:14of the event, over 40,000 police and paramilitary are securing the Kumbh Mela. Additionally, we have

02:20underwater drones, which are being deployed for the very first time, as well as thousands of

02:24cameras fitted with facial recognition technology at entry points, which are able to provide real-time

02:30monitoring. Now, the Indian government is estimating that during the six-week period,

02:33some 400 to 450 million people are set to visit the festival. I mean, it's truly staggering how

02:40many people we're talking about here and giving these enormous numbers to Lana. I mean, the real

02:44problem here is keeping everybody safe. It's the biggest headache, isn't it, Jeannie, and the

02:47biggest challenge. People I personally know who visited the Maha Kumbh Mela have said the

02:51organization is good, but phone theft is literally everywhere. Now, unfortunately, at the end of last

02:56month, after two weeks without incident, a stampede occurred in the middle of the night.

03:01Frustrations were high after the state government released casualty figures more than 12 hours after

03:06the tragedy occurred. 30 people lost their lives and dozens more were injured. The Indian opposition

03:12hit out at state officials in Uttar Pradesh for doing more to secure the event for VIPs

03:17rather than ordinary visitors. Now, despite the reputational damage caused after the stampede,

03:22organizers were adamant that the festival continue as normal, and that's exactly what happened.

03:27Days later, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed to the Kumbh Mela himself,

03:31and he was accompanied by the state's chief minister. Modi took a dip in the river and

03:37also took part in rituals later, and just like the Indian Prime Minister,

03:41ordinary citizens have their own reasons for heading to the Kumbh. Take a listen.

03:47I feel so good, very peaceful after bathing.

03:56The kind of serenity I feel here, it's a good break from our busy urban life.

04:02It's very important for us. It doesn't clean our sins. It corrects our mentality

04:07and makes it positive, which is important for our religion.

04:10Delana, how much is this about India flexing its soft power muscle?

04:14If you ask Indian officials, they won't admit it, but it is pretty evident if we just look

04:18at the sheer numbers that this Hindu festival is able to draw from both domestic and foreign

04:24tourists. 450 million is no small number, but this isn't the first time we see a state government in

04:29India promoting a religious event. Toward the end of last year, an estimated 8 million people

04:34turned out to visit the St. Francis Xavier Exposition in Goa, and while those numbers

04:38were a lot smaller, it's just another example of an Indian state getting behind a religious event.

04:43Delana, thank you so much for that. It's fascinating stuff.

Category

Transcript

Recommended