The Holy Dip

The Kumbh Mela, held at Allahabad in the year 2013 has been termed as the largest human congregation. It is a sacred pilgrimage to the confluence of three rivers of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati at Sangam undertaken by millions with a belief that taking a holy dip at the Sangam will lead to "moksha" or salvation. The enormity of human congregation and logistic operations of Kumbh was a massive Governance challenge. It received appreciation both at national and global level. The head of World Bank in India described it as "an incredible logistical operation". The researchers from Harvard described it as "a pop-up mega-city". This book is primarily dedicated to way this challenge was met by the administrative machinery working relentlessly round the clock, often beyond the call of the duty under extremely stressful and challenging circumstances. It describes how the manpower of various agencies coming from different corners of the State fitted like a jigsaw puzzle to work as a unified team with a single vision and mission- to serve the pilgrims following the ethos of Atithi Devo Bhawah. An effort has been made to critically analyze those aspects where things could have been done in a better way. The reader will also get glimpses of various fascinating religious structures and processes like Akhadas, Peshwayi, Shahi Snaan, Naga Sanyasis, Kalpvaas, Annakhetras etc, which are so integral to the spiritual event. The book can be a useful input for policymakers and administrators involved in managing and administering events involving large congregations, crowd regulation and management of civic amenities.