I had the chance to go to the Maha Kumbh Mela on the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, the place I recorded a particular TV present with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. I requested questions regarding all points which were raised about Maha Kumbh.
The questions ranged from whether or not the water at Sangam was match for bathing and consuming, the mode of measurement of the crowds that led to the declare that greater than 9 crore pilgrims visited Maha Kumbh within the first week, the preparations that had been made for his or her meals, hygiene and cleanliness.
There was additionally a query on how a lot UP would acquire from spiritual tourism by spending Rs 7,500 crore on Maha Kumbh. There have been some political questions too, like what was the necessity to convene a full-fledged Cupboard assembly at Maha Kumbh, whether or not entry of Muslims to the Kumbh Mela space has been banned, whether or not his ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’ slogan was raised on the Mela?
Yogi Adityanath didn’t evade any questions. He replied to every query, clearly and succinctly. A number of thousand folks had been watching him communicate. The viewers was extremely enthusiastic. Earlier, police had arrange barricades to cease folks from approaching the TV stage. After I noticed from the stage, folks shouting slogans and waving palms from a distance, I requested Yogi to ask police to permit folks to come back nearer. Yogi instantly responded and requested the police to permit folks to come back nearer.
The response was electrifying. A number of thousand folks started working in the direction of the TV dialogue space, shouting slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, and ‘Har Har Mahadev’. Your entire present with Yogi Adityanath shall be telecast on India TV on Republic Day eve, Saturday (January 25) at 10 pm.
In my ‘Aaj Ki Baat’ present on Thursday evening, I confirmed a question-answer pattern. By watching it, you’ll be able to have a good glimpse of how the frequent public was concerned within the TV dialogue. Yogi Adityanath’s replies had been emphatic. On account of time constraints, I might keep on the Kumbh township just for a number of hours, however the zeal and power degree of pilgrims was astonishing and distinctive.
From all instructions, hundreds of individuals had been strolling lengthy distances to succeed in the pontoon bridges to take a dip on the Sangam, thought of the holiest place on Earth throughout Maha Kumbh Mela. Solely a restricted variety of autos had been allowed to enter and most people had been strolling constantly within the course of the showering ghats. Some carrying backpacks, some carrying hundreds on their heads, however most of them had been nonchalant. Many of the pilgrims seemed completely happy.
At a number of locations, ‘bhandara’ (free kitchens) had been organized to offer meals to the pilgrims. The remaining had been singing bhajans as they marched in the direction of the ghats.
At some locations, these from the ‘nat’ (conventional acrobats) group had been holding their reveals, with a woman strolling on a tightrope. At some locations, babas with hairlocks on their heads had been giving ‘pravachan’ (sermons) to the devouts listening attentively. Shopkeepers promoting items on ‘rehdi, thela, khomcha’ (handcarts) had been doing good enterprise. Anyone instructed me ‘chaiwallahs’ had been incomes as a lot as Rs 20-22 thousand a day on the Mela, whereas beds had been obtainable for Rs 100 for a single evening. Those that might afford had been staying in luxurious tents paying as much as Rs one lakh.
General, the preparations had been foolproof. From frequent folks, I used to be shocked to listen to praises for UP police. Most of them had been saying that the police had been serving to them as mates. Lakhs of individuals had been visiting Prayagraj in practice. The station was stored clear and policemen had been deployed to maintain an in depth watch. These having apps on their cellphones had been instructed when their trains would depart, and when a practice would arrive on the platform. Policemen had been seen serving to the aged from being pushed round within the melee. The director basic of UP Police instructed me that police personnel got coaching for six months on how you can cope with the crowds patiently and in a pleasant method. In my TV present, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth praised his police.
You possibly can gauge the huge magnitude of labor that was put in effectively, solely while you go to the Maha Kumbh. Essentially the most completely happy ones had been the sadhus and different ascetics. Their sermons had been being proven on TV and different platforms. Some maintain their arms excessive, some sitting cross-legged in entrance of a fireplace, and a few utilizing ‘chimtas’ (iron tongs) to keep at bay pesky folks. The group was loopy to see Naga sadhus, who don’t put on even a loincloth and carry out their penance underneath arduous situations.
A sadhu instructed me that it was the media which was taken the electrifying spirituality of the Maha Kumbh to each house in India, by including a contact of glamour. This was the explanation why folks, in thousands and thousands, are visiting Maha Kumbh every day.
Yogi Adityanath himself is doing a hands-on job. He has been visiting the Kumbh virtually each different day. On Wednesday, he was there along with his contingent of 54 cupboard ministers, and all of them took a holy dip on the Sangam. It was solely after Yogi and his ministers took their holy dip, that the chief minister got here to hitch my TV present.
Aaj Ki Baat: Monday to Friday, 9:00 pm
India’s Quantity One and most adopted Tremendous Prime Time Information Present ‘Aaj Ki Baat- Rajat Sharma Ke Saath’ was launched simply earlier than the 2014 Normal Elections. Since its inception, the present has redefined India’s super-prime time and is numerically far forward of its contemporaries. Aaj Ki Baat: Monday to Friday, 9:00 pm.