Tents Come Off, Clean-Up In Progress: A Look At Maha Kumbh Mela Site After 45 Days Of Grand Festivities
Maha Kumbh Mela: The Uttar Pradesh government launched a 15-day special cleanliness drive at the Maha Kumbh Mela grounds on Friday.
Maha Kumbh Mela: Prayagraj, which hosted the grand 45-day Maha Kumbh event, one of the world’s largest spiritual gatherings, is now returning to normalcy as the festivities concluded on February 26.
The Maha Kumbh Mela drew over 60 crore devotees from around the world. However, the site now appears deserted, with tents being dismantled and only a handful of visitors coming to visit the Triveni Sangam.
related stories
As the grand event concluded, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath honoured sanitation workers for their service during the Mela and directed authorities to undertake a cleanliness drive.
15-Day Mega Cleanliness Drive
The Uttar Pradesh government launched a 15-day special cleanliness drive at the Maha Kumbh Mela grounds on Friday. The government announced that, over the next 15 days, the Sangam ghats, roads within the Mela grounds, and both permanent and temporary infrastructure will undergo thorough cleaning.
“Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest human congregation, witnessed over 66 crore devotees taking a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam. In keeping with Chief Minister Adityanath’s commitment to a clean and divine Maha Kumbh, more than 15,000 sanitation workers and 2,000 Ganga Sewa Doots played a crucial role in maintaining hygiene and cleanliness throughout the event," the state government said.
The cleanliness drive is being led by Special Officer Akanksha Rana, with active participation from ‘Swachhata Mitras’ and ‘Ganga Sewa Doots,’ who are working together to restore the sanctity of the site.
According to the state government, all the waste generated during the grand event is being systematically processed and disposed of at the Baswar plant in Naini.
As part of the clean-up effort, the temporary pipelines set up by the Urban and Rural Water Corporation, streetlights installed by the electricity department, and tents and pavilions used by seers and Kalpvasis are being dismantled.
Furthermore, over the next few days, at least 1.5 lakh temporary toilets installed for the Maha Kumbh will also be taken down and removed.
During the 45-day event, an average of at least 1.5 crore devotees took a dip at the Sangam. The Maha Kumbh, beyond being a festival, became a convergence of stories, traditions, and people, setting multiple Guinness World Records.
These included the largest simultaneous river clean-up, the highest number of volunteers participating in a single-site cleanliness drive, and the most participants creating handprint paintings in just eight hours, as stated by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s office.
Prominent Figures Took Holy Dip
Prominent figures, including President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visited the Maha Kumbh and took a holy dip in the Sangam.
Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, also visited on the first day of the event but was unable to take a holy dip due to allergies.
Additionally, during their India tour, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and actor Dakota Johnson visited Prayagraj and participated in the holy dip at the Triveni Sangam.
This sacred event rotates between four locations in India- Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik, and Prayagraj – each situated by a holy river, from the Ganges to the Shipra, the Godavari, and the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati in Prayagraj.
- Location :
- First Published: