New Delhi, Feb 5 (EFE).- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attended the Hindu festival Kumbh Mela held in the northern part of the country on Wednesday, a week a stampede left 30 dead and nearly a hundred injured at what is known as the world’s largest gathering of people.
The Hindu nationalist leader arrived in Prayagraj, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, shortly before 11:00 (5:30 GMT) and visited the Sangam area, marked by the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers—considered sacred in Hinduism—to take part in the bathing ritual which marks the Kumbh Mela festivities.
Modi, amid tight security, took several dips in a reserved area of the Sangam and stayed several minutes in the river, with his eyes closed and praying, before continuing on to other religious acts.
Although the 74-year-old leader’s visit to the Kumbh Mela, which began on Jan. 13 and concludes on Feb. 26, did not coincide with any of the dates considered most auspicious for the bath, the festival’s organizers reported the presence of more than 4 million attendees in Prayagraj on Wednesday.
So far, the authorities have recorded nearly 383 million people attending Kumbh Mela, the largest human congregation on the planet.
In the early hours of Jan. 29, which was the most auspicious day for bathing, a collapse of some barricades caused a stampede leaving 30 people dead and 90 injured.
The incident sparked criticism from opposition parties against the regional government under Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which took more than twelve hours to provide the first toll of casualties.
The Kumbh Mela, which lasts for some six weeks, is celebrated every three years in the holy cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik, alternatively, where “amrit,” or “nectar of immortality,” is believed to have fallen during a battle between gods and demons, according to Hindu mythology.
The festival is based on the alignment of the sun, moon, and Jupiter. Each city hosts the Kumbh Mela every 12 years. This year’s celebration is known as “Maha Kumbh” or “Great Kumbh,” which comes every 144 years and is believed to be particularly auspicious.
Around 450 million people are expected to visit Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela until this conclusion on Feb. 26.
So far, several members of Modi’s cabinet have already taken part in the ritual bathing, as well as several well-known people from around the world, among them Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the businesswoman and widow of Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs; Coldplay singer Chris Martin and actress Dakota Johnson. EFE
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