Mumbai: A train with over 1200 devotees from socially disadvantaged groups left for Prayagraj from Mumbai on Friday to participate in the Mahakumbh. The special train, organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), left Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in the evening. The programme was made possible with donations from various sections of society, who have contributed to the event with a spirit of devotion and service.
In the past, the VHP sponsored pilgrimages from Mumbai to Ayodhya for the inauguration of the Ram temple in 2024. In line with the fundamental principles of Sanatan Dharma, which are equality and harmony, this journey will ensure that the divine blessings of the Mahakumbh reach every section of society, the VHP said in a statement.
The train was booked under the FTR (Full Tariff Rate) booking used for pilgrimage and tourism packages, said a spokesperson from the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
The Mahakumbh, held at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, is the world's largest spiritual gathering and a symbol of India's spiritual and cultural heritage. The Kumbh Mela is held in cycles of six or 12 years at four different sites, Prayagraj, Ujjain, Haridwar, and Nashik.
The festival is on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The event commemorates the pot (kumbh) of amrit, the elixir of immortality produced by the churning of the milky ocean, and the fight between the gods and demons for the pot. It is believed that drops from the Kumbh fell at the four spots that have now become the sites for the pilgrimage.
The 2025 gathering is expected to attract 450 million pilgrims, according to Pathak, compared to the 200 million in 2019 in Prayagraj. The festival, which began on January 13 will end on February 26.
