The bright light of diyas cuts through the night sky, and Vedic chants echo round the clock as devotees take the holy dip. A sea of saffron-clad sadhus throngs the riverfront. Welcome to Kerala’s own Kumbh Mela, called the Maha Magha Mahotsavam, which returned to God’s Own Country after 250 years. Inspired by the grand congregation held in the north, the ‘Kumbh Mela of South India’ kicked off with much enthusiasm on January 18 on the banks of the River Bharathapuzha, also known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’.
Over the past two weeks, tens of thousands have visited the ghats for the 18-day festival, which comes ahead of the crucial elections to the Kerala assembly. The revival of Kerala’s Kumbh is being seen by a section as a soft Hindutva push by the Left Front government as it gears to retain the state amid a stiff challenge from the Congress-led UDF.
THE RETURN OF KERALA KUMBH
In fact, the idea behind hosting the religious congregation came from Swami Anandavan Bharati Maharaj, a former leader of the CPI(M)’s student wing, who is now a senior monk of the Juna Akhada, one of the oldest and largest monastic orders. He was appointed as the mahamandaleshwar or chief of the akhada for South India at the last Kumbh Mela held in Prayagraj.
The chief patrons of the mega ceremony, which is expected to draw over 10 lakh devotees, are Mata Amritanandamayi and Kerala Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan.
Efforts to revive the cultural festival have been on for the past couple of years. The festival was inaugurated by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on January 18, who hoisted the flag that was brought in a ceremonial procession from Angadippuram Aliparamba Kalari.
In his address, the governor hailed the revival of the tradition of Sanatana Dharma in the state, while maintaining that it should not be seen against any religion.
BHARATHAPUZHA BANKS LIGHT UP
Every evening, as the sun sets, the banks of the Bharathapuzha turn into a spectacle of light and devotion. Priests from Uttar Pradesh’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple, who conduct the famous Ganga Aarti at the iconic Dashashwamedh Ghat, perform a similar version here, known as the “Nila (another name for Bharathapuzha) Aarti”.
It is deeply moving to see this sacred congregation return to the banks of the Bharathappuzha, part of my own roots in Kondayur on the banks of this great river,” BJP state chief and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted.
The Kerala government has left no stone unturned to make the ceremony a grand spectacle. Over 300 police personnel have been deployed, and bomb detection squads have been stationed at the venue. Entry to the main venue or yajna shala is only permitted after thorough checks.
However, the Kumbh saw its fair share of controversies as well. Earlier this month, a row erupted after the revenue department issued a directive to halt the construction of a temporary bridge on the River Bharathapuzha for the festival.
It invited vehement criticism from the organisers, who labelled the move as a bid to scuttle the event. The BJP also slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
“There is a clear conspiracy behind the sudden halt to the construction work without any warning. The aim is to sabotage the Kumbh Mela and demoralise the pilgrims,” senior BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan had said.
However, aware of the implications with elections due in a couple of months, the government later helped smoothen thing out, and the construction was allowed.
