Where is the crowd in Kumbh this time?

After the first Shahi snan (royal bath) at the on going Kumbh mela at Sangam in Prayag Raj on January 15, the spokesman of the Yogi government claimed that over 2 crore people took a holy dip in one day - claiming it to be a record of the sort.

The number released by the government baffles all. Over 2 crore people descended in Allahabad or Prayagraj on one day but the city did not feel the rumble.

People who are associated with the Kumbh mela or live in Prayagraj have put the figure to be something around 35-40 lakh people on the first day of the Kumbh.

“Two crore is a huge number. The city has not felt the impact of such a large number of people. There is no doubt that the crowd was less than 50 lakh who visited Kumbh on the first day of the shahi snan,” said Manoj Kumar, who lives in Keetganj and has put up a memorabilia stall at the Kumbh.

He says that if there is even 1 crore of people at Sangam, the city roads would get choked. The population swells at its seam and people could feel the pressure of this multitude. “As we did not feel that pressure, we can surely say that the crowd was not over 50-60 lakh, which is normal for Prayagraj. Even in the Magh Mela we get a crowd of this magnitude,” he said adding that the government officials might have stated this number because it helps them to earn good commissions.

The restrictions were relaxed by the administration and that too indicate to the fact that crowd was not up to the expectations of the government. Vehicles are now being allowed to enter the Kumbh area whereas earlier vehicles without carrying bonafide passes were not allowed entry into the restricted zone. There are seven railway stations which were spruced up for the Kumbh crowd besides the bus stations which are eager to ferry the commuters – but the biggest question is where is the crowd?

Pandit Hari Kishan Shastri gives religious reason for the lack of interest among people. “The basic reason is it is not Kumbh but the ardh Kumbh. The Yogi government has called this ardh Kumbh as Kumbh and said normal Kumbh will be called Maha Kumbh where as Maha Kumbh is celebrated at Parag after 144 years or after 12 Purna Kumbh,” he said adding one cannot change the name of Kumbh just because he wants to claim that his government organized the Kumbh.

He said that the Ardh Kumbh Mela is held every six years at Haridwar and Allahabad (Prayag) while the Purna Kumbh mela takes place every twelve years, at four places Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik, based on planetary movements. “Depending on what position the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter hold in that period in different zodiac signs, the venue for Kumbh Mela is decided,” he said.

The last Kumbh was held at 2013 in Prayag Raj. As this Kumbh is being held after six years, it is not Kumbh but ardh Kumbh. People know this and therefore they do not have that enthusiasm, Pandit Shastri said.