Ardh Kumbh: Devotees Purify Their Soul Risking Disease

Braving the breeze, the icy waters of sangam and serious concerns over their health because of the polluted water of the river Ganges, thousands of devotees went ahead and had a bath on the auspicious days as the sun enters the Tropic of Capricorn.

The devotees include the royalty of Hindu sages of the 14 major akharas, among numerous others, will take their Shahi Snaan past midnight, into early hours of January 15.

Meanwhile the river was flushed with fresh water from upstream as the Sadhus had threatened to boycott the first 'shahi snan' (royal bath) of the Ardh Kumbh if the quality of Ganga water did not improve.

A 'holy dip' is believed by Hindus to wash away a person's sins, bringing him or her nearer to a state of nirvana. So alarmed have some become at the state of the Ganges that dozens of sadhus, or holy men, threatened to commit suicide ahead of today's bathing ritual unless the waters were treated.

Some 350 million people live on the banks of the Ganga and the lack of proper sanitation and sewage treatment facilities means that as much as one billion liters of mostly untreated raw human waste enters the river every day.

Industrial effluent adds to the problem. The major polluting industry along the Ganges is the leather industry in the city of Kanpur. Hazardous waste dumped into the water includes hydrochloric acid, chromium, mercury, bleaches and dyes. There is also a huge run-off from chemical fertilizers and pesticides into the river.

The mela organizers were tight-lipped about the biological oxygen demand (BOD) level in the river, which has gone up to six. The normal BOD level in the Ganga is five but should ideally not exceed three if it is to be fit for bathing. A Pollution Control Board officer, on condition of anonymity, said a report has been sent to the state government while a Jal Sansthan official said the water was unfit for drinking.

The Ganga Action Plan, an Indian government river cleansing project set up in 1985 with British and Dutch support, is widely seen to have failed.

Although the organizers of the Ardh Kumbh Mela are playing down the pollution risks, many remain unconvinced at claims there is no health risk. One holy man, Hari Chaitanaya Brahmachari, has filed a complaint in court against the Indian government for not taking better care of the Ganges.

 
According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a celestial war over a pitcher of divine nectar. Allahabad is one of four sites where drops of nectar are said to have fallen during the battle. The Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 12 years, while the Ardh Kumbh takes places every six years.