Kumbh on the mind

Kumbh on the mind

The mini clash of civilisations involving a tour company on the banks of the Ganga could quite easily be dismissed as a mere distraction in an event as large and multifarious as the on-going Kumbh Mela at Allahabad. It does, however, raise several interesting and even important questions on the sanctity of such religious events, the nature of modern tourism, and even the larger issue of culture -- both religious and popular -- in a globalised world. Clearly, the Kumbh Mela means different things to different people and snatches of conversation with the estimated 3 million presently congregated at Allahabad, as reported in the media, faithfully reflects this. Indeed, there is no great commonality of perspective among the broad community of holy men and women gathered at Allahabad, either. While some among them have, allegedly, viewed the presence of foreign tourists at the Kumbh as an unwarranted intrusion, others perceive their presence as evidence of the growing popularity of Indian spirituality and,therefore, welcome it. One swami even told this newspaper that in this age of Kalyug and moral upheaval, it is but natural for people to flock to sadhus!

Kalyug or no Kalyug, there is just no way that the country can lock itself away from the supposedly intrusive presence of the world or even ensure a cordon sanitaire around itself and the beliefs it holds sacred. Indian spiritualism of every kind has inspired the world from the days of Chinese traveller Fa Hsien. More specifically, the Kumbh Mela -- whether at Allahabad or Ujjain, Nasik or Haridwar -- has had its share of western chroniclers. Some like the British writer, Sidney Low, after having witnessed the one in Allahabad in 1906, had even commented that ``nothing more impressive, picturesque and pregnant with meaning and significance is to be witnessed in India.'' Given this body of evidence, it's a bit late in the day therefore to assume the posture of the ostrich.

But this is not all. It is incumbent on those who wish to participate in the Kumbh Mela as tourists to be sensitive to what the event signifies for the believer. While comparisons are odious, just as a certain decorum is expected of visitors to the Vatican or of those participating in the Haj, it would not be unreasonable to expect a similar spirit of accommodation here as well. Sometimes, tour operators with a heavy duty international clientele, tend to be so overawed by their celebrity guests that they forget that the event they are seeking to ``sell'' in the global marketplace has sacred connotations that have to be respected. From all accounts though the recent imbroglio was entirely avoidable, seeing that no convention was broken. The meat and alcohol that was supposedly served to guests at the site were just a figment of somebody's imagination. Much of the blame for the ruckus therefore should be borne by the Uttar Pradesh authorities, who seem to be caught between wanting to make a fast tourist buckout of the Kumbh Mela and playing guardian to a spiritual event. Once having given permission for the setting up of luxury tents for those at the high end of the tourist market, they were bound to ensure that everything went smoothly.