Kumbh Mela Restyles India Into Spiritual Beacon of Cultural Diplomacy & Soft Power
The Kumbh Mela (festival of the sacred pitcher) is the world's largest human congregation, and UNESCO has designated it an intangible heritage site.
SputnikThe Kumbh Mela is becoming the biggest symbol of India's growing soft power, experts have told Sputnik India, as its core message, Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah (May all be happy), is resonating in a fractious world that has been scarred by continuous conflicts.
The world respects a civilisation's soft power when it has hard power, too, and
there's not an iota of doubt that India's global standing is rising steadily,
Ratan Sharda, a noted political commentator close to the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the author of several best-selling books, including
The Sangh & Swaraj, Conflict Resolution: The RSS Way, and others, told
Sputnik India.
Kumbh Mela has been organised and celebrated since time immemorial. It may be the only human celebration that has been occurring with clockwork precision based on astronomical calculations when the West had no clue about the planets and stars and their configuration, Sharda emphasised.
"This configuration of stars and planets is known to Indians all over India, from North to South and from West to East, because all of them shared a highly scientific calendar, the only difference being the calculation of a month – which could be from Purnima (full moon day) or Amavasya (dark moon day)," Sharda explained. "Thus, people ranging from sadhus (ascetics) to scholars, from city dwellers to rural and tribal folks converged on the four Kumbh Mela sites – Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik – without any marketing or invitation."
Such a huge event should have been India's soft power from 1947 itself, he stated. However, the country's ruling class's refusal to own up its great past, scientific achievements, and knowledge at the time led them to present a dim view of Bharat, that was taught them down by the West, especially the British, the RSS scholar explained.
"Now as Bharat rises, and celebrates its civilisation, it is surely becoming the biggest symbol of its soft power. The fact that citizens of so many countries and sadhus who have come back to Sanatan Dharma's [Hinduism] fold are visiting the Kumbh Mela, shows that it is a ground for fostering international goodwill," Sharda underlined.
As the world knows more about Bharat's rich past and its scientific knowledge, and realises that despite economic power, that dominated the world trade, it never chose to subjugate any country or community, it will see this model of human cooperation and sharing of wealth without any urge to exploit others, the observer elaborated.
From the time, when records were found, it can be seen that Indians, specifically Hindus, were celebrating nature, and cultural oneness in diverse ways, the pundit pointed out.
He believes Kumbh Mela 2025 is the best platform to understand the inherent unity of mankind.
The Kumbh is an event where 'nobody is invited' and 'everybody is invited', meaning there are no formal invitations required; nor anybody will be turned away if one reaches with Shraddha –reverence or respect, Prashant Pandey, the Director of the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research and Advocacy, a division of the Sarayu Trust, an organisation working to spread Hindu causes in society, told Sputnik India.
Over the past several decades, even centuries, Kumbh was caricaturised as a place of chaos, where half-literate or illiterate people gathered in choc-a-bloc space in the 'superstitious belief' that their sins would be washed away, Pandey stressed.
He emphasised that it is only now, largely due to social media and the efforts of the Indian government, that the world is beginning to recognise the full picture.
"This not only displays the capability of India to hold such a spectacular and huge gathering amid a sense of goodwill, bonhomie, and camaraderie, but also gives a clear picture that the so-called 'caste discrimination' is not the lived reality of India," Pandey stressed. "The ability of people to come together as one, with a spiritual inclination, indeed holds a mirror to communities across the world, which are divided on sectarian lines and cause violence against each other."
The world at large is yet to figure out how such a huge tent city housing millions of devotees at the site of the Kumbh can be developed and made to work smoothly for over a month.
India has already been working with nations in the same spirit, trying not to add fuel to the fire, rather douse it, he said. Hence, Kumbh 2025 provides valuable learning for the world – conflict resolution and unity
being only two such lessons, the think-tanker commented.
He further noted that in Hinduism, spirituality is the foundation of how people interact, and in the same way, India’s essence is deeply rooted in its Hindu spirit.
Citing his experience of Kumbh 2013, which he "covered it in its entirety", Pandey emphasised how differences dissolve through a deep understanding within the Indian cultural framework, though, on the surface, some seek to amplify and turn them into conflicts.
"But events like Kumbh-2025 display amply that we can bury all that for a higher, spiritual goal. Despite several seemingly internecine differences, we did it when India was looking to become free from colonialism; we are seeing the same spirit again, when the vision of making India a developed nation is before us."
The spirit displayed in Kumbh-2025 is a reflection of the positive energy from the Sangam – confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers – which will continue to unite communities despite minor differences and drive India to new heights, Pandey suggested.
The 2013 Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh had an attendance of 120 million, as, Alok Kumar, the International President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), mentioned, while the current edition is expected to attract 450 million.
All these 450 million visit Prayagraj of their free will, while weathering the chilly conditions of the harsh winter in January and February, to take a holy dip in the Sangam, spend time with sadhus, and listen to spiritual discourses, he told Sputnik India.
"Indian festivities are marked with discipline, piety, charity, devotion, spirituality, and living in harmony with others. Additionally, this time the promotional campaign launched by Yogi Adityanath government has drawn the attention of the entire world to the Mahakumbh, with scores of foreigners flocking to the sites of the festival," Kumar stated.
The fact of the matter is that Hindus are no longer hesitant in flaunting their religious roots, they are rather proud of their ancestors, and their civilisation, which is the oldest on the planet, the VHP official stressed.
Furthermore, he noted that Indians have become more confident in showcasing their culture, which is being greatly appreciated by people from abroad.
"Apart from the Yoga and Ayurveda, which have gained global recognition and become intrinsic in many parts of the world, the Mahakumbh conveys a message of peace, tranquility, togetherness, brotherhood – all of which are imbibed in the Indian culture, as reflected in the principle of Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah," Kumar concluded.