Maharashtra chief minister and Union Home Affairs minister inaugurated the celebrations. Security measures have been boosted to prevent crowd-related incidents. President of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) slams government’s double standards vis-à-vis Christian gatherings.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – The Kumbh Mela began this morning in Nashik (Maharashtra), one of the largest Hindu pilgrimages.

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the opening celebrations in Nashik, whilst Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh  inaugurated the event in Trimbakeshwar. Both are located on the banks of the sacred Godavari River.

Some ten million pilgrims are expected between now and 25 September, when the event comes to a close.

The Kumbh Mela is a Hindu pilgrimage that takes place every three years in rotation at four locations: Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik.

Every 12 years, i.e. at the end of a complete cycle, the Maha (Great) Kumbh Mela is held at Allahabad. As it attracts tens of millions of people, it is considered the largest mass gathering in the world.

Each pilgrimage lasts a month and a half and the most important moment is the ritual ablution in the sacred river: the Sangam at Allahabad, the Ganges in Haridwar, the Shipra in Ujjain and the Godavari in Nashik. The last Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013 possibly attracted 100 million pilgrims.

Given the high turnout in these events, the authorities have increased security measure to prevent accidents related to the presence of large crowds, which have caused scores of deaths in the past.

"Such mega religious events are welcome in secular India,” said Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), who spoke to AsiaNews about the event. “However, secular credentials are skewed depending on who organises these gatherings.”

“For this Kumbh Mela, the government has invested huge amounts to install 700 CCTV cameras, and prepared everything to welcome pilgrims, including foreigners.”

“By contrast, very often at Christian gatherings, organisers receive administrative sanctions, and visas for foreign participants are denied for fear of 'proselytising'.”

“What is more,” George added, “such mega Hindu festivals provide an opportunity to spread a lot of anti-Christian rhetoric, with vitriolic attacks against the apostolate of Christian missionaries.”

Indeed, “The politicisation of religion and intolerance within communities are often consequences of these gatherings." (NC)

• india
• kumbh
• mela
• hindu
• pilgrims