QUIET FLOWS THE FAITH

The melding of an ancient amorphous faith and the latest science; of an antique tradition and new practices; ways of life older than memory and new expressions is happening at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

Here, the mighty Ganga, flowing southward and eastward across the Gangetic plain, meets the Yamuna approaching it from the right. The former is the Mother Goddess who forgives all; the latter, the daughter of Surya (sun) who can burn all evil. When the two meet the mythical Saraswati—the gentle river of knowledge and music; a confluence unlike any other in Hinduism—is formed. On the banks of this conflux is rising an ephemeral city of faith and science where the Mahakumbh will begin from January 13.

In 2019, when the Kumbh Mela was held in Prayagraj, the number of attendees was 24 crore. In 2021, when the fair was held in Haridwar, the number was much smaller—91 lakh (understandable, since the banks of the Ganga do not offer the vast space that they do in Prayagraj). This time, by estimates put forth by the Uttar Pradesh government, there will be at least 45 crore visitors, though it is prepared to cater to more than double that number. Consider this—one in every three Indians will be at the Mahakumbh.

What makes this event particularly auspicious is that it is being held after 12 Mahakumbhs, each of which is held after 12 years.

This Mahakumbh will take place under a rare astral combination. Jupiter, the planet of wisdom, will be placed in Aries and Taurus, while the sun and the moon together shall transition into Capricorn. This is the same astrological make up that marked the discovery of amrit (the divine elixir) when the devas and asuras churned the mighty ocean.

A fierce tussle between the forces of good and evil ensued when the pitcher (kumbha in Sanskrit) containing amrit was discovered and a few drops from this fell at Nashik, Ujjain, Haridwar and Prayagraj—the four cities in which the Kumbh Mela is held by rotation.