Kumbh Mela: Economics behind world's largest religious gathering

Published on 25-Jan-2019

Khushboo Razdan

Some 140 million people at one location. Yes, the world's second most populous country is hosting a mega faith carnival called Kumbh Mela. "Kumbh" literally means "pot", and the Kumbh Mela is held every three years and switches between four different locations – Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain, and Nasik, all along the banks of India's sacred rivers. The festival returns to each location after a span of 12 years.

Hindus believe that during the 49-day festival, the waters of sacred rivers turn into holy "nectar" and taking a dip in the "pitcher of nectar" will help adherents to wash away their sins and attain salvation. The exact dates of the festival are calculated according to the combination of the zodiac positions of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon.

This year the Ardha Kumbh Mela began on January 15 and will last until March 4. Devotees from across the globe are expected to participate in what is called the largest congregation of religious pilgrims in the world.

The 2,000-year-old tradition was first mentioned in the accounts of Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang), an ancient Chinese traveler who visited India between 630-645 AD.

Kumbh Mela: Let's talk business

But this larger-than-life festival of faith, spirituality, and religion is pure "nectar," even for one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

The provincial government of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has allocated 4,200 crore Indian rupees (nearly 589 million U.S. dollars) for the mega-pilgrimage, making it the costliest Kumbh Mela ever.

According to the latest report by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Ardha Kumbha Mela is expected to generate over 1.2 lakh crore Indian rupees (about 16.8 billion U.S dollars) in revenues.

The economic activities associated with the festival will generate employment for over 600,000 workers across various sectors, as per the CII report.

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