Dear Friends,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to today’s Vimarsh talk by Sh S Gurumurthy on “Kumbhmela: From a National and Geopolitical Perspective”

I thank Sh Gurumurthy for suggesting this topic for today’s talk.

Sh Gurumurthy ji was one of those who spent a few days observing the great mass of faith-driven people who came to Prayagraj for the holy Snan. The Kumbh was not an ordinary event. It showcased the cultural unity amongst diverse people of India. Sh Gurumurthy ji will share his experiences of the Mahakumbh and dwell upon the national and geopolitical significance of this great event.

The Mahakumbh held at Prayagraj was no ordinary event. While the Kumbhs are held regularly, the Prayagraj Mahakumbh was held after 144 years due to a unique conjunction of the planet. Over 600 million people, driven by Astha and Viswas, took the holy bath at Prayagraj, unmindful of the difficulties of travel and accommodation. This was the biggest gathering in human history.

Unfortunately, the Kumbh did not get a kind of coverage it deserved. Most of the coverage was superficial, not so accurate and even mischievous. The Kumbh had great significance. I happened to meet a few resident ambassadors who went to Prayagraj to see this extraordinary event. They were amazed by the scale and breadth of the Kumbhmela and how well it was organised. They got a glimpse of how Astha and Viswas connects the Indian people.

I request Sh Gurumurthy ji to share his insights