Uttar Pradesh

• 09 Oct 2024

Kumbh Summit 2024

Why in News?

Recently, the UP government has launched a series of cultural events across the state for the preparation of Maha Kumbh 2025.

Key Points

• Kumbh Summit Events:
  • Launched across 18 tehsils of U.P. as a prelude to Maha Kumbh 2025.
  • Events include "Kumbh Abhinandan" road show, Bal-Yuva Kumbh, Kala-Sanskriti Kumbh, Kavi Kumbh, and Bhakti Kumbh.
  • Universities and educational institutions will take part in these cultural celebrations.
  • Various cultural academies, including Lalit Kala Academy and Sangeet Natak Academy, are responsible for organizing competitions.
  • Focus on eco-friendly practices like ‘zero plastic usage’ and AI tools for security.
  • Ensuring transport via 700 electric buses and enhancing accessibility for devotees during peak festival days.
  • Deadline of December 15, 2024 is set for all facilities to be ready for Maha Kumbh.

Maha Kumbh

• Kumbh Mela comes under United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• It is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, during which participants bathe or take a dip in a sacred river.
• It takes place on the banks of the Godavari river in Nashik, the Shipra river in Ujjain, the Ganges in Haridwar, and the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati river in Prayagraj. The confluence is referred to as the ‘Sangam‘.
• As it is held in four different cities in India, it involves different social and cultural activities, making this a culturally diverse festival.
• The over month-long fair is marked by the construction of a massive tented township, complete with cottages, huts, platforms, civic facilities, administrative and security measures.
• It is organized immaculately by the government, the local authorities and the police.
• The mela is especially renowned for the presence of an extraordinary array of religious ascetics enticed from remote hideaways in forests, mountains and caves