Rare pilgrimage opportunities greet overseas Indians

At this year's Kumbh Mela, the Pratham Amrit Snan, the sacred royal bath marked the commencement of the world's largest spiritual gathering. / X/@MahaKumbh_2025

In a war of attrition for spiritual upmanship, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal are locked in a titanic battle to promote the Mahakumbh Mela at Prayagraj and the Gangasagar Mela at the confluence of the Ganges with the Bay of Bengal.

True to the adage, politics have not left spirituality alone. The two governments are engaged in an unending war of attrition.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been quoted in media saying that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre supported the Kumbh Mela but did not extend any support to the Gangasagar Mela.

TMC-ruled West Bengal ministers, while toeing a similar line maintain that the “Kumbh Mela is also a symbol of faith, then why the Gangasagar Mela is not granted the status of a national mela”.

Gangasagar and Kumbh Mela are historic annual events that normally take place in the first half of January and coincide with the holding of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas every other year. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 2025 edition of PBD at Bhubaneswar, he exhorted visiting members of the overseas community to visit Prayagraj and attend this “rare spiritual sojourn taking place after 144 years”.

“Come winter, this sacred land still draws pilgrims from the entire country. Hundreds and thousands converge from the farthest reaches of the subcontinent and blur the lines of science and faith in unison with timeless traditions,” reads the two-page advertisement run by the West Bengal Government.

“The Trivent of Divinity”, screams a similar two-page ‘Mahakumbh Calling’ advertisement by the Uttar Pradesh government, describing the event after 144 years as a “spiritual power centre for millions of devotees. This never-seen-before for many, and once-in-a-lifetime spectacles for others, is immersed in antiquity, culture, spirituality, and faith.”

The media blitzkrieg unleashed by the Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal governments may well be under their public outreach policies in reaching out to their electors, especially those from the majority Hindu community. While full-page advertisements have been adorning major English and vernacular newspapers since the start of the New Year, the governments are also making optimum use of TV and social media channels. Media houses have every reason to feel pleased at the rejuvenation of their fast-shrinking revenue channels.

On the road to India’s oldest and greatest spiritual congregation, says another part of the West Bengal government’s ad, says that in its efforts to preserve the timeless traditions of the mela, the once treacherous journey to the festival has now become safer and easier. The government has undertaken several initiatives to facilitate better provisions for the pilgrims.

Uttar Pradesh government claims that countless devotees revere this grand congregation (more than 40 crore, including 1.5 million overseas Indians, are expected to participate in the mela that will continue until February 26) and will travel thousands of miles to experience this rich cultural and spiritual carnival of divinity and devotion. Aiming for a sublime experience for pilgrims, tourists, and travellers, the UP government has planned and developed AI-based strategies for security, travel, and other public-centric services and amenities at Prayagraj for this mega congregation.

The response has been overwhelming.

The present edition of the Kumbh Mela is being held after 12 years, though the seers claim the celestial permutations and combinations for the event are taking place after 144 years, making the occasion even more auspicious. For the first “snan” (holy dip) on Paush Purnima, 40 lakh devotees were in attendance to mark the beginning of “Ekta ka Mahakumbh.” The Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal governments have announced a slew of initiatives for the participants besides working overtime to make sure that the events go glitch-free.

West Bengal government announced that all mela revellers would get “participation” certificates Named the ‘Bandhan’ initiative, pilgrims would be given certificates in three languages.

Reacting to reports that the numbers of pilgrims to Gangasagar have thinned out this year, West Bengal responded by saying: “So far, about 42 lakh pilgrims have visited the island,” expressing hope that the number of pilgrims would cross the records set in 2023. According to the West Bengal government, in 2023, the number of pilgrims had crossed one crore.

Opposition parties, including the BJP, have contested the claims of the number of pilgrims visiting the ecologically fragile island during the Makar Sankranti festival.

On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee has been pushing for ‘national mela’ status for the Gangasagar Mela for several years. The Trinamool Congress government under her leadership has been actively promoting Hindu religious events, including the Gangasagar Mela, and building temples with funds from the state exchequer.

It has become an accepted practice in most of the BJP-ruled States, including Uttar Pradesh, where several religious projects, including building, renovating and refurbishing of historic sites were undertaken with public funds.