A 10 year old girl, while watching Mahakumbh on TV asks innocently to her grandmother that Is this true if a person takes 30 dips in mahakumbh, then all of his sins will be removed, he will be cured form every type of of disease, if it so, please ask my mom to go there and take those 30 dips so that she can be relieved from cancer and will be normal again. Please grandma that if it is true, that a person becomes millionaire if he takes a dip at Vishnu ghat, I too wanna become millionaire, please take me there.
These are the wishes of only a child’s heart, but same thinking can be expected from adults too. And what about those TV channels who have created a huge scene of Mahakumbh and created a market of myths. The news has able to collect so much publicity that lacs of people start believing that taking dip at 5 ghats of Mahakumbh removes their sins, cure them from diseases, make them rich. But scientifically, How could a polluted river cure you from your diseases? The news effects the minds of not only the illiterates but also of the educated ones. That’s why news channels too make the issue of the concept and spreads superstitions all over the world.
Superstition is like a market and various saints (baba) are the kings of this market and news channel helps this market to grow more and more. Illiterates are more offently victims of such superstitions. Just think, is it feasible to take 30 dips in chilled water and in the chilled winter of North? If an old man would do so, you can well imagine what would be then his fate?
In Haridwar, there are variety of people who sells good deeds. Donate after taking bath at every ghat, give milk, donate gold and silver rath, then only you will go to the heaven after death, these are all the various trap of myths in which almost everyone is caught tightly. Most interestingly, if any person would die there out of cold, then it is being said that he(the dead person) was very lucky as he died here in Haridwar, he will directly go to the heaven and will achieve Moksha. His family should be very happy and they should feed at least 21 brahmins at each ghat and donate countlessly so that his souls may rest in peace. If his family members would pamper on his death then it is being said that you will earn more and more sins by doing so and all of your good deeds will come to an end. Then they would again have to do the rituals and donations.
These Mahakumbh’s saints have a high-tech lifestyle, they keep the satellite phones, travel in airconditioned cars and airplanes, stays at five star hotels and are millionaires. Those sitting at silver chair guide the common man to stay away from all types of luxuries of the world. But in actual, these saints pay a huge amount to the news channels to cover their footage. That’s why most oftenly news channels have only Babas news. News channels show only those saints LIVE who have beautiful and attractive surroundings and a lot of gathering. These saints also know the concept that without publicity nobody will come to know that which among these saints is most powerful, which’s surroundings involves popular politicians.
May it be Mahakumbh or Ardhkumbh, every other saint makes sure that other saint should not come in his way nor in his competition. Some show their talent by lying at the bed of thorns, some show their huge uncut hairs, some show that they can exist easily in winters without clothes. Every saint has his own style of dressing, set of shooting, script and different concept. This has become really difficult to recognize the real saint among all frauds. They all cheat the common man in the name of faith. The one, who will be most clever will be the best saint, that’s it.
The lecture part of the saints is most attractive and is ever growing part of their business. These earn them more than any other profession and it is growing nowadays than any other industry. These saints while organizing their program tell their sponsors that how will be the stage be arranged, about mike, speakers, space for sitting of people, how to manage medias and reporters. This lecture program is now taken as a tender notice. The sponsor paying more will get the date first otherwise later.
In Mahakumbh, Naga Sadhus(saints) have special significance. They have less man crowd than ladies. Because man and Nagas donot suit with each other. These Nagas are especially addicted to charas, afeem and all kinds of drugs. They donot wear clothes but enjoy every luxury of life. Foreigner ladies are their best concern.
The saints showing different stunts are actually nothing special, their environment of living make them able to do so and that’s why it is possible for them to do something which cannot be done by normal person like sleeping on the bed of thorns, walk on fire, dip in water for hours etc. These all seems miracle to common man and they donate lavishly. Mahakumbh is their best stage to show their talent and performances.
Mahakumbh has made Ganga river so impure today that is is not able to be drink by anybody, In about 1896, it was proved proved scientifically that Ganga river contains 5 such bacterias that can prevent it from pollution for a large amount of time but from 1975 onwards, this river has started polluting, and due to this it has vanished from many places where it had been for a long time. Instead of superstition Mahakumbh, there is a need of such Mahakumbh which can re purify river Ganga but what would be the business of the saints then?