God is in Cleanliness and Security: Kumbh 2019
God is in Cleanliness and Security
Kumbh 2019
History
The mythological story of the origin
of Kumbh is renowned. During Samudra
Manthan or churning of the ocean by the Devas (Gods) and asuras (demons), a
number of things such as ratnas (gems), halahal
(poison) supernatural animals etc. were released from
the ocean of milk. Goddess Lakshmi (symbolic of wealth and fortune) and Dhanvantari, the heavenly physician also emerged
from the ocean. Lakshmi accepted Lord Vishnu as Her eternal consort and Dhanvantari came up with the kumbh (pot) containing amrita or nectar of immortality. A war
broke out between Gods and demons to capture this kumbh (pot) of amrita. So Lord Vishnu
disguised himself as a beautiful maiden, Mohini, distracted the asuras, stole this Kumbh and passed it
on to his steed Garuda. While Garuda (Devtas
according to some sources) was escaping with it, a few drops of nectar dropped at four places which are the sites
of the modern day Kumbh Mela. Kumbh is held every 12 years and Ardh Kumbh is
held every six years at these four places by rotation. The festival sites are located on the banks of a river:
Haridwar-Ganga; Prayagraj-confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the
invisible, mystical Saraswati; Nashik- Godavari; Ujjain- Shipra.
Significance
Kumbh means an earthen pot.The body is created
from earth and merges into the earth.Therefore Kumbh signifies the human body
and Kumbh Mela is the best place to empty our vices in our nashwar (mortal) body. It is said many Deities are active in the
earth’s orbit during Kumbh Mela. When we perform spiritual practices we get
their blessings.Bathing in one of these rivers during Kumbh Mela is said
to cleanse a person of all his sins. Man, thus cleansed of his sins, attains
nirvana or moksha. Scientifically, the planetary positions during this time
affect the water and air in a positive way which makes the place divine.
Pilgrimage
It is well known that Kumbh (or
Kumbha) Mela is recorded as the largest, peaceful, religious gathering on earth
but this time Prayagraj Kumbh Mela held in Triveni Sangam, Allahabad, will go
down in history as the cleanest place in spite of the footfall of 22 crores of
people;the most safest place in spite of the motley, teeming mass from India
and many parts of the world, resulting in 55 days of accident-free zone; and outstanding arrangements for pilgrims: from constructing tents with five-star
amenities to installing 1.22 lakhs of eco-friendly toilets.
Kumbh Mela started
from 15th January 2019 and ended on 4th March 2019. Since
it takes place twice every twelve years, it is traditionally called ‘Ardh
Kumbh’.But the present Uttar Pradesh government recently renamed it ‘Kumbh’.There
were special, auspicious dates for Shahi Snan (Royal Bath) and we had chosen
the last date, i.e. 4th March, Maha Shivratri day for our holy dip
which incidentally was also the last day for Kumbh Mela.
We got down at Allahabad station and
as we came outside it seemed all roads led to the bathing ghats,such was the
mass of pilgrims. We got a taste of cleanliness from the station premises
itself. The sky was overcast, some stray rain droplets trickled down and a few
random papers brushed against the pavement; but only for a short while. A
cleaning man came in a battery-operated vehicle. He pressed a button and a short, broom-like gadget shot out from an aperture and in a jiffy the dirt and papers
vanished.
We hired an auto to go to our
destination, that is the army cantonment, located inside the iconic Allahabad
fort. The auto dropped us beneath a bridge and from then onwards till the fort, all vehicles were prohibited. We walked under the bridge and came to the main
road. The roads were chock-a-block with
pilgrims,locals and an occasional police post. We waded with our luggage,
manoeuvring through the immense, orderly crowd, passed two tent cities on our
left and right, encountered pilgrims who had already taken the holy dip, and finally
reached the cantonment at noon, after
walking for about two kilometres.
Once we entered the army cantonment,
all my tiredness vanished because it was a large island of calm and security.
We were put up in tents, which had all the facilities of a hotel, with clean
beds, chairs, tables, drinking water and even a mosquito repellent.
We had retired early at about 9:45 p.m.
because the next morning which was Maha Shivratri,our day will start at 4 a.m. The climate was quite cold. All along the afternoon, evening, till late night we could hear loudspeaker announcements
from the Sangam Ghat and I fell asleep immersed in the sound. Suddenly my sleep
was disturbed by the trembling of the tent flap. .Soon I was wide awake when
the sky roared like a wounded lion and then started the rain with its drops
falling on the roof of our tent forcefully, sounding like thousands of plummeting
stones ready to burst through the canvas. It was past midnight. The rain fell
in torrents, increasing its intensity and we feared that our tent might be
flooded. We kept our luggage on the chair in case water seeped in. There was
nothing more we could do except resigning ourselves to a higher power.
The next morning we set out at four
with our guide, Pradeep. It was very, very dark (in spite of the street lights)
and very cold but we were filled with an unknown bliss, as if we were in close proximity with
divinity. The road was wet but not waterlogged. People were already
on their way to the Ghat. We crossed the last arched gate
which glissaded down to a concrete pathway bordered by battlements designed in
Mughal architecture. This was called the Ganga Dwar and the illuminated holy Ganga
came into view. From the ramparts of the fort we only saw human heads walking
towards the Ganga. What a divine feeling! This is the same Triveni Sangam where the
holiest of holy have been taking bath since ancient times. The Triveni Sangam
is considered to be the center of the earth in a few scriptures.
As we walked towards the Sangam , the first striking feature we saw was the
rows of temporary toilets on the side of the wide road. We were also surprised to see people sleeping beside the road,
under the trees, bodies fully covered in blankets or shawls .At first glance
they might be mistaken for beggars or street dwellers. But they were pilgrims
like us who have arrived from another town or city and instead of checking
into a hotel have come straight to the Sangam
Ghat .They will use the roadside toilets, take the holy dip ,use the changing
rooms on the bank, have their breakfast at the roadside stalls and then go to
the railway station or bus station for their journey back home.
The morning was dark as an eight
o’clock evening but the street lights and the illumination at the Ghat was better than a shopping mall in an upmarket
metro.
As we reached the Ghat we could see a
surge of people at 4:30 a.m. On the higher level of the bank there were rows of
changing rooms for ladies. We selected a suitable place and proceeded to the
water. The steps leading to the Ganga were sandbagged to prevent them from being slippery. As soon
as the steps were over, my feet touched a fathomless abyss and I thought I would
be sucked into a hole. But a good stranger assured me to be fearless because
the Ganga bed started from that point. Soon enough, as my feet felt the soft
mud, I stood firmly on the bed and took the dip. The water was icy cold at first
but soon the chilliness vanished when
spiritual serenity overwhelmed me as I took the sacred dip in the
Triveni Sangam, consorts of Trimurti or Holy Trinity: – Brahma’s consort, the unseen, transcendental,
Saraswati River (believed to be flowing underground) ; Vishnu’s (Krishna)
consort, Yamuna River; and Shiva’s consort, Ganga River . Just about four hands
away from where I was bathing the waters had been barricaded with bright orange
material so that enthusiastic swimmers do not go far into the water, mislead
others and thence cause mishap. On the other side of the protective barricade, lots
of boats had assembled, filled with people staying on the other bank, who had come to take bath in the holy confluence.
As soon as I had finished my dip, the
good man came with milk (with a price) to be offered to Lord Shiva on Maha
Shivratri day. I marveled at divine intervention, ‘as the demand so
the supply’.
After changing into dry clothes I
bought a puja thali comprising of
flowers, diya and the usual things
from a vendor sitting on the bank. The price was most reasonable—10 rupees only,
as is customary in normal places and in
normal circumstances. After the puja was over, as if by magic a tea seller came and we had Ambrosian tea, at again the normal
price. Then we strolled on the bank watching the pilgrims because the inflow was
increasing as the hours progressed. But all were peaceful, whose main focus was to take the holy dip. If
this is not divinity what is? It is rightly said that God resides in Man because
all looked similar , like Gods in their focused holiness. The extraordinary
feature was silence. All the pilgrims were doing their work silently: bathing, praying, offering
water to the Gods, doing arti,
floating diyas on the Ganga. The
vendors were silent too, no shouting of wares .The disciplined beggars gave
silent, expectant looks .Only the wandering, saffron-clad mendicants begged in
a sing-song, prayerful way which sounded very soothing in the dark morning with the fresh, scented air seeping in, heralding the approaching dawn.
There were no pandas, touts or
pestering beggars. The sandy, clean bank was moist but not soggy or squelchy. On
the other side of the Ganga, far away, was
a line of bright LED lights as if there was a bustling, modern city. But it
was actually the tent city erected by the government and private enterprise
especially for Kumbh.
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| Sangam Ghat at 4 a.m. |
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| Barricade, Boats at Triveni Sangam and the Illuminated Bank on the Other Side at 4 a.m. |
It had rained heavily the night
before. The roads were wet but there were no potholes anywhere. The return
journey was through another route which led us to the exit. The entry and exit
routes to the Sangam Ghat were different so that in spite of the immense crowd
there was no jostling or stampede-like situation. Some beggars and sadhus were
sitting on the roadside but all in a line. The LED lights fell in every corner
and universally there was cleanliness. Not a single plastic bottle, bag or tea
cup was strewn randomly. Dustbins were positioned at regular intervals. It was
5:30 a.m. but still very dark. The exterior of the fort was dazzling in the
bright LED lights. The crowd going towards the Ghat had increased manifold. Still
there was a perception of expanse hence there was no crowding or frottage. When
we came back to our tent ,fulfilled and serene it was just 6 a.m.
It was a very auspicious day not only
because of Maha Shivratri but also because it fell on a Monday (day dedicated
to Lord Shiva)after a long time. About one crore people took bath on that day .
Mankameshwar Temple
In the evening we went to a Shiva
temple, called Mankameshwar Mandir. It is situated on the banks of Yamuna. It is
said that worshippers attain their wish fulfillment here. According to legend, during Lord Ram and Sita's Vanvas (exile),Devi Sita, after bathing
in the Yamuna wished to pray to Lord Shiva. Since there was no Shiva temple
nearby, Lord Ram built a temple for her, thus fulfilling her wishes. Hence the
name Mankameshwar. The temple is small. The main idol in the temple is a black
stone, ‘Shiv Lingam’. It is believed to be three and a half feet Shivling but
the greater part is deep underground. It is said to have been installed by Lord
Ram himself on his way to Chitrakoot.
The temple was situated at a lower level. We
had to climb down a few steps from the main road to reach it. Since it was Maha
Shivaratri the crowd was immense. There were adequate police and special Action Force managing the crowd . The queue was always in
motion so that my turn came only after five minutes. There was a lady police officer
near the idol, so that the worshippers do not take unnecessary time.
Saraswati Ghat
Next we walked down the same road in
the opposite direction, passing a park by the Yamuna river called Minto Park, which
is maintained by the army. A few feet farther was Saraswati Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna
river. From the topmost level we could see the peaceful water of the Yamuna
gleaming in the setting sun. To reach the Ghat or bank we had to climb down quite
a number of very, wide steps. From the Ghat we could get a very good view of a
portion of Allahabad Fort located at the corner near Triveni Sangam, its walls
being kissed by the greenish water of the Yamuna river. There were a few
boatmen at the pier, with their anchored boats. On normal days,
boatmen ferry passengers to the Sangam Ghat. But on that auspicious day, the
last day of Kumbh, things were different. On being asked, whether they would
take us to Triveni, one replied, “Even if you give us 10,000 rupees we’ll not
ferry you to Sangam now. Today we have
been ferrying pilgrims since 4 a.m. and we are very tired.”
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| Saraswati Ghat |
There was a metal platform like a quay, which projected slightly into the water providing a good photo op. On the western side
was the newly constructed, cable-stayed Yamuna Bridge also called Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee Bridge. It runs north-south across the Yamuna river connecting
Prayagraj city to its satellite
neighborhood, Naini. The cables glimmered in the light of the setting sun. On
the other bank of Saraswati Ghat was the tent city.
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| Sunset on the Yamuna River |
Sangam Ghat
The next morning at about 9:30 we
went to Sangam Ghat again, apprehending great filth and dirt now that the Kumbh
was over but we were in for a huge surprise. The
pilgrims were going back home with their luggage on their heads; shopkeepers
were disposing off their wares at a throwaway price: jackets and half-sleeved
coats at 250 rupees per piece. Along the roads, vendors sold bags, toys, puja
utensils, medicinal herbs, Rudraksh Mala but most were busy in packing up.
Steel road plates were fixed on pathways in some places for further protection.
We walked to the Sangam Ghat through a different route. The sun was quite hot. People
were still taking holy dips. Crowd was everywhere. Now the boatmen begged us to
take a ride, 150 rupees per head. In the morning sun we saw the actual site of the
confluence--the greenish water of the Yamuna merging with the clear Ganga water. But there was no
scope for taking a perfect photograph because the crowd was still mind-boggling.
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| Sandbagged Path Leading to the Ganga |
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| Straw-Layered Bank and Cleaning Process in Progress after Completion of Kumbh Mela |
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| Rows of Ladies' Changing Rooms |
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| Empty Boats after Completion of Kumbh |
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| Bathing still Going on after Conclusion of Kumbh |
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| Vendors on the Bank |
The moist sand on the bank was now
layered with straw so there was no waterlogging, puddles, muddiness; hence no
slipping and falling. Pandits sitting
on charpais were offering to decorate
the foreheads of pilgrims with sandal wood paste and tilaks. Pickpockets, touts, pandas
which we thought were scarce in yesterday’s predawn would surface in the
busyness of midmorning. But they were still invisible. The beggars were still
sitting in a line, wandering sadhus still sang with begging bowls. The people
were still peaceful. The only sound was the announcements on loudspeakers of
Lost and Found. There was a giant TV screen closely monitoring the proceedings.
Cleanliness was still a predominant feature. Everything was in order. The only
disorder were flowers (used for puja)
strewn in the Ganga but it was a sight to behold. The packing up had begun
with the sanitation staff dismantling
the temporary changing rooms. Large, black plastic bags filled with garbage were
ready to be disposed of.
Allahabad Fort
In the morning we realized the beauty
of the fort built by Mughal Emperor, Akbar in 1583.It was the largest fort built
by him. He named it Illahabas (blessed by God)which later became Allahabad. It
is located on the banks of Yamuna near its confluence with the holy river
Ganga. The location of the fort was chosen to guard the waterways. The fort has
three gates—Yamuna Dwar in the south, Ganga Dwar in the east and the main gate
on the landside.
There are some sights within the fort
premises which are of spiritual, mythological and historical importance.
1) Ancient Tree and Temple
Within the fort is a sacred fig tree
called, Akshayvat ( the
indestructible banyan tree).Akshayvat’s existence is linked to Vedic
scriptures. It is mentioned in Matsya
Purana. According to legend, Lord Narayana in order to show his divine power to
sage Markandeya flooded the entire world for a moment during which only
Akshayvat survived and could be seen above the water level. This tree is also mentioned in Ramayana.
Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman visited this place before and after their Vanvas. It is said that they had
rested beneath this tree.
Patalpuri Mandir
This underground temple is believed to have been visited by Lord Ram. The
Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang also saw this temple in the 7th century. Akshayvat is within the
temple.
2) Saraswati Koop
Inside the fort there is a well
(koop), known as Saraswati Koop. It is believed that the mythological, Saraswati
river flows beneath this deep well. Saraswati is an ancient sacred river, on
whose banks Vedic seers composed the initial parts of Rigveda and several
Upanishads.
3 )Ashoka Pillar
Ashoka the Great of Maurya Dynasty
(c. 268-232 BCE) is remembered for many extraordinary things and one of them is
Ashoka Pillar. During his reign which covered the entire Indian
subcontinent (except some parts of Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala) the pillars
of Ashoka were dispersed throughout his kingdom. He called them Dhamma Thamba (pillars of Dharma). Allahabad
Fort also has the famous Ashoka pillar or Ashoka Stambha. It is located in
front of the Ordnance Depot Quarter Guard. It is one of the few existing
pillars that contain his edicts. The
Ashoka Pillar is a single vertical structure made of polished sandstone
and is 35 feet high with a width of 35 inches. It dates back to 3rd century BCE. This
Pillar was first erected at Kaushambi, an important city in ancient India.
Ashokan Inscription
The Ashokan inscription on the
Allahabad Pillar is one of the most important records of rediscovering the
Mauryan Emperor Ashoka and the full extent of his empire. The inscription is
engraved in Brahmi script, in continuous lines around the column.
The Pillar includes Schism Edict
which is a command by Emperor Ashoka to his senior officials (Mahamatras of
Kaushambi) to avoid conflict and to stay united. The Pillar also has Queen’s
Edict which refers to the charitable deeds
of Emperor Ashoka’s second queen, Karuvaki.
Samudragupta’s Inscription
A later inscription (on the Allahabad
Pillar) is attributed to the Gupta Emperor, Samudragupta of 4th century CE. It is written immediately below the edicts of Ashoka. It is written in
excellent Sanskrit, praising Samudragupta, listing his political and military
achievement, thus providing important information about the geopolitical
landscape of the era.
Jahangir’s Inscription
The Mughal Emperor Jahangir probably moved the
Allahabad Pillar from Kaushambi to Allahabad. Jahangir’s inscription was inscribed in the 17th century and it records the names of his
ancestors. It is overwritten on the much older Ashokan inscription. Hence, much
of the 3rd and 4th edicts of Emperor Ashoka have been destroyed by Jahangir’s
inscriptions.
Allahabad Fort is occupied by the Indian
Army and special permission is required to enter it. Photography is strictly
prohibited inside its premises.
Conclusion
The media had highlighted about
elaborate security arrangements in Kumbh, 2019, with thousands of policemen, home
guards, central force, anti-terrorists commandos, anti-sabotage commandos with
snipers , bomb disposal units, sniffer
dog squads etc. on duty. It is not as if there was a huge posse of weapon-wielding
security men everywhere. But they were protecting the pilgrims by remaining in the
shadows, away from razzmatazz because we did not see any of those on both the days. I only saw a
couple of policemen at the exit gate at 4:30 a.m. on Maha Shivratri day. No
accident or any untoward incident was reported except for a brief fire in one
pocket on the first day which was quickly brought under control with no
casualties.
But the biggest takeaway is spick and
span Kumbh Mela. To maintain this sort of cleanliness, the administration had
pressed into service 15,000 sanitation workers, 40 compactors, 120 tippers and
20,000 dustbins. Such posts had been created by Uttar Pradesh’ Chief Minister, Yogi
Adityanath’s administration: Ganga
Praharis or Swachhagrahis and Swachhta Doots. The 2000 Swacchagrahis /Gangapraharis were foot soldiers
who kept the Mela premises clean and the main job of Swachhta Doots (Messengers of Cleanliness) was to prevent littering
in the Mela area. Installation of LED lights helped them to spot garbage from a
distance. Those workers went beyond the call of duty and their 8-hour shift and worked for 10-12
hours every day to ensure that “Bhavya
Kumbh, Divya Kumbh (Grand Kumbh, Divine Kumbh) is fructified on ground zero
to its fullest extent. They were working
ceaselessly like the security personnel, keeping themselves in shadowland away
from the razzle -dazzle of TV cameras. No wonder Prime Minister Modi had called
the safai Karmacharis (sanitation
staff) as ‘Karmayogis’ and showed his
gratitude by washing the feet of some of them.
All in all, the slogan of Kumbh Mela
2019 , “Swach Kumbh, Surakshit Kumbh’
was not an empty bombast like many political slogans, but showed that great
vision, hard work and dedication can make every lofty ideal 100 % successful.
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| Clean Road Leading to Sangam Ghat on Mahashivratri at 4 a.m. on 4th March |
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| Cleanliness of Roads on 5th March after the Completion of Kumbh Mela |
Photo: S.K .Sur
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| Absence of Litter on 5th March even after Curtains on Kumbh Mela |
Photo: S.K. Sur
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| Steel Plates on Roads for Extra Protection |
Photographs: Bulbul Sur
