Mahakumbh Mela: No 'non-Sanatani' food stalls, IDs mandatory for babas
What's the story
The 2025 Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, which will be held from January 13 to February 26 in Uttar Pradesh, will witness major changes. The mega event, which is expected to attract around 40 crore devotees, will be held at the Triveni Sangam—the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj. To prevent fake godmen from entering this mega Hindu festival, seers attending will now have to show identity proof like Aadhaar or voter ID.
New measures
Akharas to provide list of associated saints
Ravindra Puri, chief of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), said, "We have directed all Akharas to provide a list of the associated saints to the district administration and other law enforcement authorities." The move is part of an effort to ensure only genuine religious figures take part in the Kumbh Mela. The ABAP has also suggested replacing Urdu words. Urdu terms such as 'Shahi Snan' and 'Peshwai' will now be called 'Rajsi Snan' and 'Chhavni Pravesh' respectively.
Language shift
Hindi terms to replace Urdu in Kumbh Mela
Puri thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for accepting this proposal. The ABAP is also mulling over banning non-Sanatanis from putting up food stalls at the event, with a formal resolution likely after Diwali. "The proposal is a fallout of several recent incidents in which urine was mixed in juice and spitting in food occurred, among other acts. All Hindus will be at the Kumbh Mela, so defiling things will not be tolerated," he said.
Employment directive
Only Sanatan Dharma followers to be employed at Kumbh
The ABAP has also directed that only followers of Sanatan Dharma should be employed at the Kumbh Mela. This includes barbers, carpenters, cobblers and on-duty staff. Devotees are further advised to buy goods only from shops displaying the owner's name and an idol or picture of deities before taking their services. Further, there's also a demand to ban the sale of liquor and meat near the Kumbh area.