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.
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Produced by Amanda Alexander and Marina Pajovic.
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
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https://twitter.com/France24_en
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NewsTranscript
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.