Socio- Economic dynamics of Kumbh Mela 2013: A Study

Project ReportSubmitted towards the partial fulfillment of requirements for the award

ofMaster in Business Administration, 2012-14

Submitted by

Ayush Vaish (2012MB73)

(Semester-II)

Under the Guidance Of

Prof Peeush RanjanAgrawal

Dr. G.P. Sahu

Dr. Shefali Nandan

Ms. Bhoomika

School of Management Studies

MNNIT, Allahabad

To

School of Management StudiesMotilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad

April, 2013

1

DECLARATION

I, the undersigned solemnly declare that the report of the project work entitled “Socio- Economic

dynamics of Kumbh Mela 2013: A Study” is based on my own work carried out during the course

of my study under the supervision of Prof Peeush Ranjan Agrawal, Dr. G.P. Sahu, Dr. Shefali

Nandan and Ms. Bhoomika. I assert that the statements made and conclusions drawn are an

outcome of the project work. I further declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief that the

project report does not contain any part of any work which has been submitted for the award of any

other degree/diploma/certificate in this institution or any other University.

Date:

Prof Peeush Ranjan Agrawal(Professor)

Dr. G.P. Sahu(Associate Professor)

Dr. Shefali Nandan(Guest Faculty)

Ms. Bhoomika(Guest Faculty)

SMS, MNNIT

Ayush Vaish (2012MB73)

(MBA 2ndSemester, 2013)

2

Table of Contents

Serial No. Topic Page Number

1. Acknowledgement 1

2. Preface 2

3. Chapter -1

Introduction

1.1 Elemental Meaning of Kumbh

1.2[1.1] The Prayag Kumbh Mela

1.3[1.2] Importance and Significance of Kumbh

Mela

1.4[1.3] History of Kumbh Mela

1.5[1.4] Prayag Kumbh Mela 2013

4

4. Chapter- 2

Literature Review

2.1Introduction To Literature Review

2.2 Basic Introduction Of Kumbh Mela

2.3 Historical Aspect of Kumbh Mela

2.4 Significance of Kumbh Mela

2.5 Different Forms of Kumbh Mela

2.6 Significance of Tirthraj Prayag

2.7 Rituals of Kumbh

2.8 Kalpvas

2.9 Akhara

2.10 Organization and Plan of Maha Kumbh

Mela

2.11 Factors Considered Fro Estimation Of

Pilgrim Resource/Infrastructure

Planning

2.12Other Services Offered At Maha Kumbh

2.13 The World Of The Kumbh Mela : Inside

12

3

The Largest Single Gathering Of Humanity

2.14 Kumbh Mela Brings Economic Prosperity

2.15 Socio-Economic Impact Of Maha Kumbh

On Local Economy

2.16 Management, Maha Kumbh Style

2.17 Healthcare At The Kumbh Mela

2.18 Kumbh Mela, A Sacred Geography

2.19 The Construction Of The Kumbh Mela

2.20 Researches In Kumbh Mela

2.21 Researches At Kumbh Mela by the

Researcher Of Harvard University

2.22 Kumbh Mela: 80 Million Pilgrim March

2.23 Business Worth Of Kumbh Mela 2013

2.24 Opportunities For Corporate Market in

Kumbh Mela 2013

2.25 ASSOCHAM Analysis On Job Prospects in

Maha Kumbh Mela 2013

5. Chapter -3

Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Research Questions

3.3 Objective Of Research

3.4 Scope Of Research

3.5 Field Of Study

3.6 Research Process

47

6. Chapter -4

Analysis and Discussion

4.1 Factor Analysis

4.2 Reliability Analysis

52

7. Chapter -5

Conclusion and Suggestions

69

8. References 71

9 Annexure-Questionnaires 73

4

List of Tables

Serial No. Description Page No.

1 1.1 Important Past and Future date of Kumbh Mela at their respective

Venue

5

2 2.1 Estimated Pilgrims During Kumbh Meha 2013 22

3 2.2 Comparison of services provided during Kumbh Mela 23

4 2.3 Police services provided during Kumbh Mela 23

5 2.4 Services provided by PWD during Kumbh Mela 23

6 2.5 Services provided by Jal Nigam during Kumbh Mela 24

7 2.6 Services provided by Electricity Board during Kumbh Mela 24

8. 2.7 Health and Sanitation services provided during Kumbh Mela 25

9 2.8 Food and Civil services provided during Kumbh Mela 25

10 2.9 Roadways services provided during Kumbh Mela 26

11 2.10 Railways services provided during Kumbh Mela 26

12 2.11 Camp Charges during Kumbh Mela 27

13 2.12 Extra Bed during Kumbh Mela 27

14 2.13 Transport Charges during Kumbh Mela 28

5

15 2.14 Estimated Pilgrims during Kumbh Mela 2013 28

16 2.15 Job Opportunities in Kumbh Mela 2013 46

17 3.1 Likert Scale to check Satisfaction Level 50

18 4.1 Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure 53

19 4.2 Total Variance Matrix 54

20 4.3 Rotated Component Matrix 57

21 4.4 Rotated Component Matrix After Adjustment 60

22 4.5 Administrative Services 63

23 4.6 Information Technology 64

24 4.7 Safety and Security 66

25 4.8 Basic Amenities 67

26 4.9 Product and Pricing 68

6

List of Abbreviations

PWD Public Works Departments

SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences

ASSOCHAM Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India

APA American Psychological Association

7

Acknowledgment

This is our great privilege to acknowledge our sincere honor and solicitous gratitude to our guide

Prof. Peeush Ranjan Agarwal, Head of School of Management Studies, Motilal Nehru National

Institute of Technology, Allahabad for his inspiring and excellent guidance, keen supervision and

help in successful completion of this Minor Project.

We also express our profound gratitude and thankfulness to Prof. Geetika, Dr. Tanuj Nandan,

Dr. G.P.Sahu, Dr. Vibhuti Tripathi, Dr. Tripti Singh, Dr. Piyali Ghosh and Dr. Shefali Nandan

for guiding and encouraging us during the completion of our Minor Project.

We would also like to express our deep gratitude towards Mr Ashish Gupta,

Mr. Shwetank Parihar, Ms. Swati Gupta, Ms. Bhoomika and Mr. Suman Gupta for their

valuable guidance in using SPSS software and in preparation of our report.

Ayush Vaish2012MB73

8

Preface

Kumbha Mela is "the world's most massive act of faith' – the largest congregation of devotees at  one

place. It is believed that by bathing in the Ganges during Kumbh, one is freed from one's past sins

(karma), and thus becomes eligible for liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The literal

meaning of Kumbh is a pitcher, but its elemental meaning is something else. The Kumbh Mela takes

place in an approximately 4x8km area on the flood plain of the Yamuna and Ganga river and on

defense land behind the old Fort at Allahabad (popularly known as parade grounds).The estimated

worth of the Kumbh Mela 2013, was 15000 crore rupees, and expected number of visitors to be 10

crores (Source: The Economic Times).

The main objective of the research was to study the social and economic dynamics of the Kumbh

Mela 2013. The study was divided into two subgroups, i.e. demographics and institutions. The

demographic division covers the study and analysis of the pilgrims who are residing in the Kumbh

Mela premises as pilgrims for more than a week. The institution division covers all the economic and

social aspects of different organizations in the Kumbh Mela.

We developed a thorough and diverse questionnaire with contributions from every student of the

batch and help and guidance from the faculty. It included various questions regarding all the

aforementioned aspects, and some others. The first questionnaire on demographics consists of 26

questions. Similarly the questionnaire on institutions consists of 21 questions. They were either

multiple choice types or were based on Likert scale.

On 24th of February, 2013, whole batch was divided into 8 groups each comprising of 10 students

each and we set out to the Kumbh Mela on various vehicles, each vehicle supervised by a faculty

coordinator. Different sectors were pre-assigned to different groups, and we were dropped on

respective sectors to conduct the survey. The survey was carried out by directly interviewing the

pilgrim in different sectors of the Kumbh Mela. Questionnaires were filled up and the collected data

was analyzed using different statistical techniques such as Frequency, Cross Tabulation and Factor

Analysis with the aid of SPSS software, to find out various outcome of the study.

The portion of the analysis we dealt with was related to study satisfaction level of pilgrims with

facilities and arrangements. After the analysis we found that most of the pilgrims were satisfied with

the government’s arrangements for the Maha Kumbh such as basic facilities of lodging, bathing,

drinking water, information and technology, safety and security, the edible product availability and

the infrastructure.

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We also observed that pilgrims were quite dissatisfied with the way Mela officials dealt with the

crowd management and bathing facilities but in spite of some of the odds, it was observed that the

overall satisfaction level of the pilgrims were very much satisfactory.

At last, several interpretations, conclusion and suggestions are being given after doing the complete

study on the Kumbh Mela.

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Chapter -1

Introduction

Kumbh means a pitcher and Mela means fair in Hindi. The pilgrimage is held for about one and a

half months at each of these four places where it is believed in Hinduism that drops of nectar fell

from the Kumbh carried by gods after the sea was churned. The festival is billed as the "world’s

largest congregation of religious pilgrims”. There is no scientific method of ascertaining the number

of pilgrims, and the estimates of the number of pilgrims bathing on the most auspicious day may

vary; approximately 80 million people attended on 14 February 2013.

Mauni Amavasya traditionally attracted the largest crowds at the mela, held here every 12 years. The

current Kumbh Mela was held on 14 January 2013 at Allahabad. The day marked the second and the

biggest ShahiSnan (royal bath) of this event, with 13 akharas taking to the Sangam. 10 Feb 2013 was

the biggest bathing day at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela and probably the largest human gathering

on a single day. Over 30 million devotees and ascetics took holy dip on the occasion of

MauniAmavasya.

Through this survey we are going to study Socio-Economic Dynamics of Kumbh Mela 2013

with the objective:

1) To study social and economic aspects of pilgrims

2) To study satisfaction level of pilgrims with facilities

3) To study social and economic aspects of institutions

4) To study satisfaction level of institutions with facilities

Our main issue of interest is the emergence of social structure in complex groupings. The

Kumbh Mela authorities put down some bright lines on who gets to go where, when, and

how — for example, rules that govern people's movements during some religious days —

and some rules are determined by long-standing customs. Other, more informal norms

among disparate groups of people seem to emerge quickly and how cooperation among diverse

groups happens, this is a fortuitous setting.

This is also the first Big Data Kumbh, also with cell phone usage ubiquitous in India, the millions of

cell phones at the Kumbh Mela act as mobile sensors. To imagine the uses to which researchers

could put the data, consider these hypothetical ideas:

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1) The data could be used to understand how untoward incidents have been contained. After all,

the Maha KumbhMela has managed to prevent major disasters for a long time.

2) Why don't disasters spiral out of control when massive numbers of people, unfamiliar with

each other, are involved?

3) Can we spot the signatures of an incipient disaster in the data, and

4) The process by which those signals are attenuated rather than amplified?

There is much commerce, as well as charitable exchange, of goods and services at the Kumbh Mela:

1) How do vendors deal with the inevitable errors in forecasting demand?

2) Do inter-vendor communication patterns allow the collective containment of uncertainties?

3) Telecom data generated at the Kumbh Mela should provide grist to the intellectual mills of

statisticians, engineers, mathematicians, and social scientists for a long time?

Important past and future date of Kumbh Mela at their respective Venue.

Year Prayag Nashik Ujjain Haridwar

1983 Ardh Kumbh – – –

1989 Purna Kumbh – – –

1991 – Kumbh – –

1992 – – Kumbh Ardh Kumbh

1995 Ardh Kumbh – – –

1998 – – – Kumbh

2001 Purna[21] Kumbh – – –

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Year Prayag Nashik Ujjain Haridwar

2003 – Kumbh – –

2004 – – Sihasth Ardh Kumbh

2007 Ardh Kumbh – – –

2010 – – – Kumbh

2013 Maha Kumbh – – -

2015 – Kumbh – –

2016 – – Sihasth Ardh Kumbh

2019 Ardh Kumbh – – –

2022 – – – Kumbh

Table 1.1 Important past and future date of Kumbh Mela at their respective Venue.

(Source:  http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttar-pradesh/thousands-take-holy-dip-as-maha-kumbh-

begins_822770.html visited on April 25 2013)

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1.1 Elemental Meaning of Kumbh

Kumbh is the confluence of all our cultures. It is the symbol of spiritual awakening. It is the eternal

flow of humanity. It is the surge of rivers, forests and the ancient wisdom of the sages. It is the flow

of life itself. It is the symbol of the confluence of nature and humanity. Kumbh is the source of all

energy. Kumbh makes humankind realize this world and the other, sins and blessings, wisdom and

ignorance, darkness and light. Holy rivers are the symbols of the lyrical flow of humanity. Rivers are

indicators of the flow of water of life in the human body itself. In the human body that is an

embodiment of home, nothing is possible without the five elements. The elements – fire, wind,

water, earth and sky – symbolize the human body. The great sage-poet SantKabir has explained this

sublime thought in his typical manner.

The Himalaya is the abode of the soul of the gods. The Holy Ganga embarks upon its journey from

there, encompassing the forests, the mountain sages and the culture of the villages. The Yamuna is a

co-traveler as it puts an end to all sins, and it is known variously as Tripathga, Shivpuri and other

names. This is the Ganga that liberated the children of the Suryavanshi king Sagar. Its holy water is

considered nectar itself.

1.2 The Prayag Kumbh

This Kumbh is considered to be the most significant of all as it marks the direction of wisdom or

light. This is the place where the sun, symbolizing wisdom, rises.The Kumbh Mela takes place in an

approximately 4x8km area on the flood plain of the Yamuna and Ganga river and on defense land

behind the old kila at Allahabad (popularly known as parade grounds).

Creation of the universe is supposed to have originated here and it is supposed to be the center of the

earth. Prajapati Brahma, the God of Creation, is said to have created the Universe after conducting

the AshwamedhYagna at the Dashashwamedh Ghat here. The Dashashwamedh Ghat and the

Brahmeshwar Temple still exist here as if as symbols of that holy yagna, and that is another reason

for the special significance of the Prayag Kumbh. In fact Prayag and Kumbh are synonymous to each

other.

1.3 Importance and Significance of Kumbh Mela

Maha Kumbh has a mesmerizing influence over the minds of Indians as it is witness to the largest

human gathering in History for the same cause on a single day irrespective of any worldly barriers of

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caste, creed, colour and religion. It is once in a lifetime experience seeing millions of pilgrims and

tourists from all over the world come together for a common goal-this spectacle of Faith is truly

unforgettable. This festival is held in highest regard as the ritual bath in the sacred water on this day

saturated with flower & incense fragrance amidst chanting of vedichyms and mantras liberates one

from all sufferings and miseries of Life. The Kumbh Mela considered the most sacred and greatest of

North Indian festivals where the ceremonial dip in the Holy River is an important ritual. It is

believed that bathing on this auspicious day cleanses one of all sins. The most auspicious day for the

ritual bath at Kumbh is on the day of the new moon when one gets rid of all sins and evils and is

granted salvation. One attains Moksha (meaning liberation from the cycle of Life, Death and

Rebirth).This festival will be incomplete without the presence of Sadhus and ascetics who represent

different orders (Akhadas). Sadhus like Vaishnav(Followers of Vishnu), Shaiva (flowers of Shiva).

The most interesting feature is the presence of Naga Sadhus-(known as preserver of faith). A

particular sect of sadhus initiates the ritual bath and leave after the dip in the holy water to make way

for another order. Many pilgrims gather to also take blessings from this sadhus.Significance of this

unique event is the blending of religious and cultural features. Rig Veda has a mention about the

significance of convergence of river Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati at Prayag or Sangam.

References can be found about the significance of this ritual in VarahaPurana and MatsyaPurana as

well. There is a belief that the ashram of the leamedBharadvaja, where Lord Ram, Laxman and Sita

lived at the time of their exile, was situated at Sangam. It is said that a number of saints including the

great Shankaracharya and ChaitanyaMahaprabhu visited Sangam and observed the Kumbh Mela.

The great Indian epics such the Ramayana and Mahabharata have mentioned that a yagna was

conducted by Lord Brahma at Sangam.

1.4 History of Kumbh Mela

Kumbh derives its name from the immortal Pot of Nectar, which the Demigods (Devtas) and

Demons (Asuras) fought over, described in ancient Vedic scriptures known as the Puranas. It is these

Vedic literatures that have stood the test of time, out of which the tradition has evolved into the one

that the world now knows as The Kumbh Mela. Legend tells a tale from the bygone days of the

universe when the demigods and the demons conjointly produced the nectar of immortality. The

demigods, because cursed, were crippled of fear that eventually made them weak. The task being too

sturdy for them alone, the demigods made a mutual agreement with the demons to complete it in full

and share the nectar of immortality in half. It is said that the demigods and the demons assembled on

the shore of the milk ocean that lies in the celestial region of the cosmos. And it began!

15

For the task of churning the milk ocean, the Mandara Mountain was used as the churning rod, and

Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the rope for churning. With the demigods at Vasuki’s tail and

the demons at his head, the churning began. At first, the churning of the milk ocean produced a

deadly poison which Lord Shiva drank without being affected. As Lord Shiva drank the poison, a

few drops fell from his hands which were licked by scorpions, snakes, and similar other deadly

creatures. Also, during the churning, the Mandara Mountain began to sink deep into the ocean,

seeing which Lord Vishnu incarnated as a great tortoise and supported the mountain on His back.

Finally, many hurdles and 1000 years later, Dhanwantari appeared with the Kumbh of immortal

nectar in his hands. The demigods, being fearful of the demons' ill intent, forcibly seized the pot with

its safety entrusted onto the four Gods - Brahaspati,Surya, Shani, and Chandra. Demons, after

learning that their part of the agreement has not been kept, went after the demigods and for 12 days

and 12 nights, the chase continued. Wherever the demigods went with the pot of nectar, fierce

fighting ensued. It is believed that during this chase, a few drops fromthe Kumbh fell at four places -

Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik. There is also a prevalent legend that it was actually the

demons that were being chased by the demigods for 12 days and 12 nights, during which the drops of

elixir of immortality fell at these four places. These four places are since believed to have acquired

mystical powers. Because 12 days of Gods are equivalent to 12 years for humans; the Kumbh Mela

is celebrated once every 12 years in each of the four places - banks of river Godavari in Nasik, river

Kshipra in Ujjain, river Ganges in Haridwar, and at the Sangam of Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati

in Allahabad, where the drops are believed to have fallen. Millions of devout, come together to

partake in ritualistic bathing and ceremonies to cleanse themselves of all sins.

1.5 Prayag Kumbh Mela 2013

The Mela was divided into 14 sectors. Most of the year, “Kumbh City” is not an inhabited part of

Allahabad. There is no pre-existing water or electricity supply there, or any system to get rid of

human waste. But by the time the festival started this year in January, Kumbh City was a functioning

metropolis with a population larger than most permanent cities in the world and many small

countries too. The government erects vast tent encampments, some 40,000 toilets, hospitals, markets,

emergency services, food stands, supply shops, offices and hundreds of temples. The following are

some of the facts related to Kumbh Mela 2013.

Kumbh 2001 was for 44 days while Kumbh 2013 will be for 55 days (+25%).*

Country’s population was 102.87 Crore in 2001, it is estimated to be 121.02 Crore in 2011

(+17.6%)*.

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The State population was 16.61 Crore in 2001 which has risen to 19.96 Crore in 2011

(+20%).*

Allahabad Nagar Nigam had 9.75 lakh population in 2001 which was 12.47 lakh in 2011

(+28%)*

(Source: “http://kumbhmelaallahabad.gov.in/english/kumbh_at_glance.html”, visited on 25 April 2013)

The other salient features of Kumbh Mela 2013 are as follows:

Around 10 crore people are expected to visit the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in 2013. The

Makar Sankranti day alone will witness around 1 crore pilgrims and more than 3 crore pilgrims are

expected to take the holy dip on Mauni Amawasya on February 10.

Amongst the visitors, around 10 lakhs are expected to be foreign tourists.

The total budget for Maha Kumbh 2013 is Rs 1,200 crore, which is 200 crore more than that

of the 2001 Maha Kumbh.

The Mela would generate employment for over 6 lakh people. Rs 12,000 crore is expected to

flow into the coffers of the UP government as revenue and taxes.

18 pontoon bridges and 35,000 public toilets have been built for pilgrims. 

156 km of new roads, made of chequered steel plates have been laid on the river bank.

571 km of water pipelines have been laid, 800 km of electric wires and 48 power sub-

stations been set up in the Mela area.

125 ration shops, 4 godowns opened in Mela area for pilgrims to buy grains, groceries and

vegetables.

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2,500 religious and social organisations from across the world will participate.

30,000 policemen, 30 new police stations, and 72 companies of paramilitary forces have

been deployed to provide security during the Mela.

120 CCTV cameras have been installed in Mela area and Allahabad city.

22 doctors and 120 ambulances on round-the-clock duty at the new 100- bed central hospital

in Kumbh Mela area with other facilities of doctors and medical to be provided by various institutions

setting up camp in Kumbh Mela.

50.83 sq km the total area where the Kumbh is held, almost double the size of the last mela

in 2001.

Rs 6,000 crore is the daily rent for the plush Swiss cottages set up by UP Tourism.

Hollywood celebrities Richard Gere, Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta

Jones expected to visit apart from spiritual guru Dalai Lama, former US presidential candidate John

Hagelin.

Digitised Maps of the entire Mela area have been uploaded on the internet for people to

select which place they want to visit and have a dip in the holy waters.

GPS-Enabled Systems to locate their spiritual and religious heads and the camps/ashrams

that they have set up in the Mela area. To estimate exact number of crowds the government has sought

cooperation from ISRO and Remote Sensing Application Centre. They will capture photographs of the

entire Mela area every 24 hours. 

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Chapter 2

Literature Review

2.1 Introduction to Literature Review

A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge

including substantive findings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular

topic. Literature reviews are secondary sources, and do not report any new or original experimental

work. Literature review should be referred to as reviewing and analyzing the work of literature in

relation to the specified topic in research.

Most often associated with academic-oriented literature, such as a thesis, a literature review usually

precedes a research proposal and results section. Its ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date

with current literature on a topic and forms the basis for another goal, such as future research that

may be needed in the area.

A well-structured literature review is characterized by a logical flow of ideas; current and relevant

references with consistent, appropriate referencing style; proper use of terminology; and an unbiased

and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic.

2.2 Basic Introduction of Kumbh Mela

India is a land of spectacles, it is a land of teeming millions and a land of an ancient culture and

civilization and Kumbh Mela is the biggest religious gathering of humanity in the world. It has vast

crowds assemble as big as the millions who flocked to the north Indian city of Allahabad to bath at

the confluence where the cloudy waters of the river Ganges meet the blue waters of the river

Yamuna on the most auspicious day of those Melas. Anyone who wants to enjoy the Kumbh Mela to

the full must appreciate its many different aspects.

Faith is the key to the Kumbh Mela. It is a wonderful spectacle, a great demonstration of the variety

and vigour of Hinduism, an occasion to preach politics and conduct business, but there would be no

Kumbh Mela were it not for the faith that draws millions of pilgrims to the Sangam in Allahabad.

It is of course a great religious festival, the world's largest, but there is much more to it than just the

great bathing day, spectacular though that is. Most spectacular of all are the naked sadhus or holy

men, who career through the crowds dancing to the frenzied beat of drums and leaping in the air as

19

they charge in to the river to bathe. Then there are the sadhus to be seen on any day performing

amazing acts of asceticism. Some held his arm up so long that it was withered and his nails curved

round like talons, another one standing on one leg, and one lying on a bed of thorns.

At Kumbh Melas there is much religious teaching also, and a multitude of discourses. There are the

sadhus to be seen on any day performing amazing acts of asceticism'. They demonstrate the wide

variety of Hindu traditions, and Hinduism's tolerance too. Some of the discourses seemed to me

obscurantist, some profound, and some surprising. The devotees of the 15th Century saint Kabir told

they condemned images of the deities and maintained that washing under a tap was just as good as

bathing in the Ganges. No-one seemed to object to their unorthodox views. Perhaps that's because

Hinduism is so varied that for most Hindus there is no concept of heresy. Hindu pluralism is also

shown by the different creation myths the Mela commemorates.

The word Kumbh means an urn, and one of the several myths is the story of an urn filled with the

nectar of immortality which emerged from the primeval waters when they were being churned by

gods and demons. The urn was snatched by demons but the son of the ruler of heaven, the god

Indira, recovered it. Drops from the urn fell at the Sangam and other places in India where Kumbh

Melas are held.In India.

Politics enter into all walks of life and the Kumbh Mela is no exception. In 1989, the campaign the

Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hoped would bring it to power on a wave of Hindu

nationalism was in full swing. The festival is a feat of organisation by the authorities and pilgrims

and in one of the tented pavilions fanatic speakers fulminating against the mosque in Ayodhya they

claimed stood on the birth place of the god Rama, and demanding that it be pulled down to be

replaced with a temple.

Mela means a fair, and as with all fairs plenty of business is done at Kumbh Melas. There are stalls

selling everything a pilgrim might need including of course the accoutrements required for pujas, or

worship. Barbers shaving heads do a roaring trade. The traditional priests who keep family records

set up their stalls and do good business updating genealogies and performing ceremonies for the

souls of the dead.

Government constructed a vast tented city, laying down miles of steel plates for roads and

constructing pontoon bridges. The administration also insured there was food for the pilgrims, and

water too - sanitation, as well as electricity. The police, not usually renowned for their gentleness,

20

were politeness personified as they shepherded millions of pilgrims down to the river banks, keeping

them in orderly queues, and insured their safety while bathing. But in this they were helped by

Indians remarkable ability to organise themselves in situations which in most other countries would

degenerate into chaos.

2.3 Historical Aspect of Kumbh Mela

Kumbh derives its name from the immortal Pot of Nectar, which the gods (Devtas) and Demons

(Asuras) fought over, described in ancient Vedic scriptures known as the Puranas. It is these Vedic

literatures that have stood the test of time, out of which the tradition has evolved into the one that the

world now knows as The Kumbh Mela. Legend tells a tale from the bygone days of the universe

when the gods and the demons conjointly produced the nectar of immortality. The gods, because

cursed, were crippled of fear that eventually made them weak. The task being too sturdy for them

alone, the gods made a mutual agreement with the demons to complete it in full and share the nectar

of immortality in half. It is said that the gods and the demons assembled on the shore of the milk

ocean that lies in the celestial region of the cosmos.

For the task of churning the milk ocean, the Mandara Mountain was used as the churning rod, and

Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the rope for churning. With the gods at Vasuki’s tail and the

demons at his head, the churning began. At first, the churning of the milk ocean produced a deadly

poison which Lord Shiva drank without being affected. As Lord Shiva drank the poison, a few drops

fell from his hands which were licked by scorpions, snakes, and similar other deadly creatures. Also,

during the churning, the Mandara Mountain began to sink deep into the ocean, seeing which Lord

Vishnu incarnated as a great tortoise and supported the mountain on His back. Finally after many

hurdles and 1000 years later, Dhanwantari appeared with the Kumbh of immortal nectar in his hands.

The gods, being fearful of the demons' ill intent, forcibly seized the pot with its safety entrusted onto

the four Gods - Brahaspati, Surya, Shani, and Chandra.

Demons, after learning that their part of the agreement has not been kept, went after the gods and for

12 days and 12 nights, the chase continued. Wherever the gods went with the pot of nectar, fierce

fighting ensued. It is believed that during this chase, a few drops from the Kumbh fell at four places -

Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik. There is also a prevalent legend that it was actually the

demons that were being chased by the gods for 12 days and 12 nights, during which the drops of

elixir of immortality fell at these four places. These four places are since believed to have acquired

mystical powers. Because 12 days of Gods are equivalent to 12 years for humans; the Kumbh Mela

21

is celebrated once every 12 years in each of the four places - banks of river Godavari in Nasik, river

Kshipra in Ujjain, river Ganges in Haridwar, and at the Sangam of Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati

in Allahabad, where the drops are believed to have fallen. Millions of devout, come together to

partake in ritualistic bathing and ceremonies to cleanse themselves of all sins.

2.4 Significance of Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela is not just a mere festivity like Diwali and Holi, but holds lot of importance for people

in India. People look up to Kumbh Mela with highest regard, as this event gives them a golden

opportunity to liberate themselves from the miseries and sufferings of life. It enables them to take a

holy dip in the sacred water and wash away all the sins they have committed in the past. People

come from different parts of the country to be a part of this sacred ceremony.

It is believed that taking a holy dip in water paves way for attainment of Moksha. However, it is of

paramount importance that the person who is performing the rituals has complete faith and trust in

the power of divinity. Mentions have been made about the Kumbha Mela in the Brahma Purana and

Vishnu Purana, which clearly state that a person who performs the bathing ceremony during the

month of Magh at Prayag (Allahabad) derives manifold benefits, which surpasses the reward

obtained by performing numerous Ashvamedha rituals.

Rig Veda has a mention about the significance of convergence of river Ganges, Yamuna and

Saraswati at Prayag or Sangam. References can be found about the significance of this ritual in

VarahaPurana and MatsyaPurana as well. There is a belief that the ashram of the learned Bharadvaja,

where Lord Ram, Laxman and Sita lived at the time of their exile, was situated at Sangam. It is said

that a number of saints including the great Shankaracharya and ChaitanyaMahaprabhu visited

Sangam and observed the Kumbh Mela. The great Indian epics such the Ramayana and Mahabharata

have mentioned that a yagna was conducted by Lord Brahma at Sangam.

2.5 Different Forms of Kumbh

We shall not dwell upon the literary meaning of the word Kumbh, but we would like to mention the

synonyms and origins. The Kumbh is a pitcher. Kumbh is the human body, it is the abdomen, and

the sea, earth, sun and Vishnu are synonyms of Kumbh. The pitcher, sea, river, ponds and the well

are symbols of Kumbh as the water from these places is covered from all sides. The sky has the

cover of the wind, the sun covers the entire universe with its light, and the human body is covered

22

with cells and tissues. That is why it is Kumbh. Desire, that is longing, is also Kumbh. God Vishnu is

also Kumbh as He pervades the entire creation, and the creation pervades in Him.

2.6 Significance of Tirthraj Prayag

The significance of Prayag is widely known in the terrestrial and celestial universe. By bathing in the

holy waters of the Sangam one is ridden of all sins. The devout is granted all his desires. This is the

significance of an ordinary bath, and hence the importance of a bath during the Kumbh is manifold.

It cannot be described and has to be experienced to be known.

2.7 Rituals of Kumbh

Kumbh Mela, is the largest human gathering which is attended by millions of people on a earth

irrespective of all worldly barriers of caste, creed, region. The Kumbh Mela has wielded a mesmeric

influence over the minds and the imagination of the ordinary Indian.

Devotees believe simply by bathing in the Ganga zone is freed from their past sins (karma), and thus

one becomes eligible for liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Other activities include

religious discussions, devotional singing, mass feeding of holy men and women and the poor, and

religious assemblies where doctrines are debated and standardized.

Kumbh Mela (especially the Prayag Kumbh Mela) is the most sacred of all the Hindu pilgrimages.

Millions of holy men and women (saints, monks, and sadhus) attend this spectacle of faith.

This holy event with such tremendous faith has gained international fame. Famous ancient traveler.

Huen Tsang of China was the first to mention Kumbha Mela in his diary. His diary mentions the

celebration of 75 days of Hindu month of Magha (January-February), which witnessed half a million

devotee including sadhus, common man, rich & famous & kings.

2.8 Kalpvaas

Kalpvaas has a special significance in Prayag. It holds special significance in the month of Magh,

and it lasts from the 11th day of the month of Paush till the 12th day of the month of Magh. Kalpavas

is marked by patience, non-violence and devotion, and meals are to be partaken only once a day. It is

believed that kalpvaasis who fulfill all the vows get reborn as a king.

2.9 Akhara

In Hinduism, Akhara (also akhada) is an association of different sects of Sadhus Vairaghis yogis or

Hindu Renunciates. Its history dates back to the eighth century when AdiShankaracharya established

23

seven Akharas, Mahanirvani, Niranjani, Atal, Avahan, Agni and AnandAkhara. Some yogis link

these akharas to Gorakhnath rather than to Shankaracharya. Today there are 3 major Akharas (Juna,

Mahanirvani and Niranjani) and 3 minor Akharas (Atal affiliated with Mahanirvani, Anand affiliated

with Niranjan). Furthermore there is one small BrahmachariAkhara named Agni. There also

numerous minor Akhara's usually set up by disciples as an affiliate to the major group or sometimes

due to disagreements on succession or Gurudev of an Akhara. The biggest Akhara - based on the

number of Sadhus is Juna, followed by Niranjani and Mahanirvani. Akharas are classified into

different Sampradayas based on their traditional systems.  An Akhara is divided in 8 davas

(divisions) and 52 marhis (centres). Each Marhi is governed by a Mahant. The top administrative

body of the Akhara is Shree Panch (the body of five),

representing Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and Ganesha. It is elected on every Kumbh Mela and the

body holds its post for 4 years. The head of the Akhara is the Acharya Mahamandaleshwar, followed

by other Mahamandaleshwaras, Mandaleshwaras and Shree Mahants.

2.10 Organization and Plan of Maha Kumbh mela

The Kumbh Mela takes place in an approximately 4x8km area on the flood plain of the Yamuna and

Ganga river and on defense land behind the old kila at Allahabad (popularly known as parade

grounds). Mapped into 4 zones, Arail (N Bank), Jhusi (W bank), Parade grounds, Upper Bandh and

lower Bandh. With the parade ground being government and institutional area and Upper Bandh and

Lower Bndh the sites of maximum activity (also closest to holiest spot: sangam). Parade grounds are

the current defense lands behind the sangam and will hold all the government offices. Kumbh Nagri

is notified by the UP government as an official 76th district of Uttar Pradesh, all the laws and

regulations that pertain to the rest of UP’s 75 districts are applicable in the Kumbh.This year Ganges

has settled in such a way that greater land area is on the Western side (Jhusi) than the Eastern side

(Kila/ upper/lower Bandh side_ as is usually the case. Planning is done with an assumed 20%

increase in population from the Ardha Kumbh numbers (they did not remember the number). Amin

or tehsildars are the chief layout makers of the Kumbh. They head to the field everyday and mark out

the entire city. Most often they do this before the town planners draw up the map. Town planners say

they often navigate around the work already done on site in their plans. This year the area of the

mela extends almost 2 km up river on the Ganges to reduce the density of the Kumbh Nagri.

Government area is situated on the parade ground. It houses:

Offices of a majority of government departments: jal, health, electricity PWD, Police.

24

ATM, internet access kiosks, ONGC offices, cell phone towers, and also bank branches.

Expected number of visitors: 14th Jan: 1crore 13 lakh, 27th Jan 55 lakhs 10th Feb. 3.25

crores.

Approximately 1 crore population (check) rumoured to be staying as residents. However,

people tell me that Mela authorities exaggerate numbers. Estimated population counts still

underway by Tourism Department.

On 20th Oct, the Ganges fully receded and final flood plain mapped. Layout work

commenced.

2.10.1 Sectors Planning

A total of 14 administrative sectors are planned this year. Each sector represents an administrative

district. Police, health and other departments have a different number of sectors. Sectors are mapped

according to population density. It is calculated at 20% more than the ardhakumbh. Each sector has

roughly the same amount of residents. The large sectors on the periphery of the nagri are large as

they have a lower density of occupancy. They are waiting to adjust size of sectors based on

population predictions by Tourism department. Sector 8,9,7 are largely residential, Sector 12 is

largely open ground. The sectors closer to sangam are smaller as these are high density areas.

Boundaries of the sectors are defined by 1) the river bank edge (i.e. where the sandy bank ends and

the mainland starts—usually characterized by an elevation difference) 2) the water edge 3) existing

roads (Ref: Chief Townplanner) Each sector has its small zone of shops. Rules, building bye laws etc

apply to the Kumbh Nagri but it has a lot of special provisions that are passed by the committee

created for it. Masterplan of Allahabad has special provisions for Kumbh accounted in it. Kumbh

mela is one of twenty land uses on the master plan.

2.10.2 Pontoons Bridge

17 Pontoon bridges are proposed across the Ganges and two across the Yamuna. 2692 new pontoons

being built. There are 1510 old ones.Bridges are made of “Pontoon (“Pipa” is the Hindi name for the

floating iron cylinders). They are 8’ wide and 32’ long. These pieces are reused in different festivals,

the last time they used them for the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar four years ago. The pipas are made of

a thin layer of iron that keeps a large volume of air inside. All governmental / public funding, 30%

funding of roads borne by Central Govt and 70% state. Each pontoon (pippa) it cost is 3.5 lakhs

rupees. The daily payment for each worker is 250 rupees per day.

25

2.10.3 Architecture Of The Nagri

Entire Nagri is constructed largely out of bamboo, cloth and tin. More permanent VVIP areas and

hospitals are in plywood. The sandy banks of the Ganges are leveled by tractors at the cost of the

government. There are a total of 13 contractors who build the makeshift architecture on the

government side. Akharas often get a discount. But individual groups can choose to bring in their

own contractors – a lot of the tourist operators have their own teams. Lalooji and Sons (LJS) is a

historic company who supplies everything from the tin to the beds and blankets. They set up melas in

Haridvar, Nasik, etc and have stores and offices all over. Akharas are given a significant discount

based on their relationship with the contractors. The rent of each plot is 1000 rupees per tent.

The supply of material for government areas is also from registered contractors. E.g. forest

department will provide all the bamboo poles.

2.10.4 Public Health Program

22 administrative sectors for health.This is not a medical facility but a health program. Here again

facilities are divided between 1) Permanent: with existing hospitals such as GT hospital being

improved 2) Temporary: hospitals and related facilities created at Kumbh. No serious illnesses are

treated at Kumbh they are ambulanced to the town hospital. There are three wings that fall under this

department 1) Public Health: which does sanitation work and has check posts for infectious diseases.

They also check food and water samples on a regular basis. 2) Clinic: dealing with medical treatment

3) Vector Borne Disease Control Unit: which is largely the anti fly unit. Staff for the Health

Department is drawn from hospitals all across UP. Lower level and first aid staff are drawn from

government schemes like Aganwadis (child care centers). They also hire the lower ranks of staff like

sweepers and laborers. Medical supplies and equipment procurement is handled by the Purchase

department. Infectious disease control and health checks.

One, 100 bed hospital at parade ground: this will be made of plywood. Ten hospitals of 20 bed each

across sectors these will be made with tin, tents. The entire hospital is made by Lalooji and Sons who

hold a monopoly over the construction of the Nagri.

12 sectors will be serviced by sweeper gangs who will sweep the areas free of night soil and waste

(image of carts the garbage is carted in). Laborers dig large pits in available open areas and on the

outskirts (wherever they can find space I am told). They also liberally spray these pits with DDT and

26

other chemicals to prevent spread of bacteria etc. Each gang consists of 11 sweepers, one of whom is

in charge of them. There will be 9000 sweepers at Kumbh this year.

There are expected to be 35,000-45,000 toilets created at Kumbh. Toilets are constructed in tin shed

and a cement platform with the Indian style toilet is made within it. Plastic pipes lead into a pit dug

behind the toilet rows. The pit is lined with bricks but I am to understand that a lot of them end up

being just pits. Pits are covered with a lattice of bamboo and covered with dry grass to allow gasses

to escape. Mud is placed on them. Extra pits are made for overflows. In sandy areas – tin barrels are

placed upside down to act as septic tanks as otherwise the sewage rises up through the sandy soil. A

large number of the visitors are villagers who refuse to use toilets as they are unaccustomed to them.

They squat in any available open land. Their night soil is swept up every day and taken to pits and

buried. I can see this as a huge problem: already areas in between two tin compounds or near existing

drainage canals are lined with human feces. 2000-2500 pits are dug for garbage and night soil

(environmental nightmare!), I am told the sweepers also act as scavengers and remove plastic and

other recyclable refuse as they dig the pits. Here again expected funding is 30% from Central

Government and 70% from state.

2.10.5 Flow Of Capital And Goods

There are a number of shops that are present in the Kumbh Nagri. There is a planned shopping zone

called Meena Bazzar which is in the central government area / parade area. Other than that there are

several shops in each sector. The shops are auctioned off by the Mela Adhikari office.There are an

estimated 1000-1200 shops on auction. Memorable stalls are the Prayag Dairy and Loknath Misthan

Bhavan who run multiple stalls. There are various kinds of shops that have different rental or

licensing prices: 1) shops in Meena Bazzar 2) Exhibition cum Sales areas 3) shops in sectors 4)

shops along main arteries 5) peddlar shops. A large amount of informal selling takes place as well.

2.10.6 Kinds Of Goods Sold At Kumbh

Dry goods stores

Milk, milk products and bread (Parag Dairy is the chief supplier and there is a separate

administrative department for milk and food products).

Mithai and kachori stalls: Popular stalls-Loknath Mishthan Bhandar. Sulakilal Shrinath and

Sons

Clothes (woolens, bedding etc)

27

Stoves and dung cakes to burn on stoves are under production on the Kumbh site

Brand items such as coke, Nescafe etc are all present but are through local store owners who get

the respective agents to supply for the Kumbh

Companies such as hero honda etc have stalls that advertise, but not sell products.

Meena Bazzar: this is the specified area allocated for small shops at Sangam and generally has a

clothes market where a large number of Tibetans and Kashmiris sell goods.

Religious goods: texts, prayer beads, other things required for rituals, music cds and cassettes,

religious idols and posters. These include Buddhists as well.

2.10.7 Police Arrangements

30 police outposts planned

Police forces are arriving in three batches15th oct, 15th nov, 15th dec

Reserve police force drawn from stations and lines all across UP

Training session being conducted in batches. Currently the trainers are being trained who

will then train the remaining regiments.

3 types of police forces – central reserve police force, Uttar Pradesh police and paramilitary

will be present at the Kumbh

On main bathing days police stand and pull people out of the water as soon as they take a dip

Crowd control through a system of mazes—making people walk as much as possible. These

are adjusted according to the main bathing dates and expected audiences

Police are in charge of parking and vehicular movement.

Traffic will be stopped 7km before the Kumbh Nagri and people will have to walk.

2.10.8 Safety Strategies during Kumbh

Water of the river is controlled from upriver (possibly haridwar) to keep it calf deep and

thus minimize chances of drowning.

Elaborate systems of mazes ensure that crowds do not stampede towards the river on main

bathing dates. There is a calculation of expected numbers for each day and the pattern of

cutoffs and points of cutoffs will be changed to match estimated numbers.

Vehicular traffic is cut off 7 km ahead and you have to walk into the site.

Special permits are required to be in main sangam area on key bathing dates.

Electricity is cut off during the day so as to prevent accidents.

28

2.11 Factors Considered For Estimation Of Pilgrim And Resource/Infrastructure

Planning:

Kumbh 2001 was for 44 days while Kumbh 2013 will be for 55 days (+25%).

Country’s population was 102.87  Crore in 2001, it is estimated to be 121.02 Crore in 2011

(+17.6%).

The State population was 16.61 Crore in 2001 which has risen to 19.96 Crore in 2011

(+20%).

Allahabad Nagar Nigam had 9.75 lakh population in 2001 which was 12.47 lakh in 2011

(+28%).

Estimated Pilgrims During Kumbh 2013

S.

NO.Bathing  Days

Kumbh 2001 Kumbh 2013

Dates Estimated   Visitors Dates Projected Visitors

1 MakarSankranti 14.1.200

1

100 Lac 14.1.2013 110 Lac

2 PaushPurnima 09.1.200

1

50 Lac 27.1.2013 55 Lac

3 MauniAmawasya 24.1.200

1

276 Lac 10.2.2013 305 Lac

4 VasantPanchami 29.1.200

1

175 Lac 15.2.2013 193 Lac

5 MaghiPurnima 08.2.200

1

150 Lac 25.2.2013 165 Lac

6 MahaShivratri 21.2.200

1

50 Lac 10.3.2013 55 Lac

Table 2.1 Estimated Pilgrims During Kumbh Mela 2013

29

Infrastructure & Services Being Provided During Kumbh-2013 Mela

Sl.

No.

Service/

Infrastructure

Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh -

2007

Kumbh-

2013

1 Area Hectar

e

1495.31 1613.80 1936.56

2 sectors No. 11 11 14

3 Parking Lots No. 35 44 99

Fig 2.2 Comparison of Services Provided During Kumbh Mela

POLICE

Sl.

No.

Service/ Infrastructure Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh -

2007

Kumbh-

2013

1 Police Stations No. 28 28 30

2 State Police Personnel No. 9965 10913 12461

3 PAC No. 35 45 46

4 Central Para Military

Personnel

No. 7 40 40

5 CCTV Camera No. 0 19 85

6 Variable Signage Board No. 0 0 30

7 Fire Station No. 28 28 30

Fig 2.3 Police Services Provided During Kumbh Mela

30

PWD

Sl.

No.

Service/

Infrastructure

Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh -

2007

Kumbh-

2013

1 Length of roads laid Km 96.40 116.50 156.20

2 No  of Pontoon bridges No. 13 14 18

Fig 2.4 Services Provided By PWD during Kumbh Mela

JAL NIGAM

Sl.

No.

Service/ Infrastructure Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh -

2007

Kumbh-

2013

1 KLs of drinking water

supply

KLs 56000 76000 80000*

2 length of Pipelines Km 340 458 550

3 No of connections No. 15430 18523 20000

4 No of active tube wells No. 28 38 40

5 No of OHT in operations No. 2 2 5

Fig 2.5 Services Provided By Jal Nigam During Kumbh Mela

POWER

Sl.

No.

Service/ Infrastructure Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh

-2007

Kumbh-

2013

1 KWh of power consumed(Load) KWH 18 Mva 23 Mva 30Mva*

2 Length of electricity lines Km 565 665 770

3 No of Street light Points No. 16865 18000 22000

4 No of private connections No. 69489 94000 130,000*

31

5 No of Substations in

operation(various categories)

No. 49 62 73

Fig 2.6 Services Provided By Electricity Board During Kumbh Mela

HEALTH AND SANITATION

Sl.

No.

Service/ Infrastructure Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh

-2007

Kumbh-

2013

1 No of Allopathic hospitals No. 14 14 14

2 No of Homeopathy hospitals No. 07 07 12

3 No of Ayurvedic hospitals No. 10 10 12

4 No of beds in mela areas No. 360 360 370

5 No of Toilets No.      

  Individual   20481 17000 35000*

  public toilets        

  Sulabh Complex (10

Seaters)

  20 105 340

  Trench Pattern   17100 12875 7500 (PRAI

TYPE)

  Non-conventional 

Toilets

  0 0 1000*

Fig 2.7 Health and Sanitation Services Provided During Kumbh Mela

FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES

Sl.

No.

Service/ Infrastructure Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh -

2007

Kumbh-

2013

1 No of ration cards issued No. 127000 117481 200000*

32

2 Allotment of Wheat MT 13500 10000 16200

3 Allotment of Rice MT 7800 5000 9600

4 Allotment of Sugar MT 5000 - 6000

5 Allotment of K Oil KL 11000 6600 13200

6 PDS shops in the mela area No. 107 107 125

7 Allotment of milk KL 118 84.2 400

8 Milk Distribution shops in

mela area

No. 106 98 150

Fig 2.8 Food and Civil Services Provided During Kumbh Mela

ROADWAYS

Sl.

No.

Service/ Infrastructure Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh -

2007

Kumbh-

2013

1 No of Temporary bus

stations

No. 4 4 5

2 No of buses in

operation(Reg.)

No. 776 798 892

3 No of buses in

operation(Spl)

No. 2824 2202 3608

4 No of Pilgrims Lac 36.64 46.78 90.00*

Fig 2.9 Roadways Services Provided During Kumbh Mela

RAILWAYS

Sl.

No.

Service/ Infrastructure Unit Kumbh-

2001

Ardh Kumbh -

2007

Kumbh-

2013

33

1 No  of  stations  in 

operation

No. 7 N/A 7

2 No  of  trains No. 600 N/A 750

Fig 2.10 Railways Services Provided During Kumbh Mela

2.12 Others Services Offered At Maha Kumbh

* Accommodation during the Kumbh Mela

* Allahabad Sightseeing

* Transportation Facility by Bus / Qualis or Innova on exclusive or sharing basis (As per

Guest's Requirement)

* Paramedic Staff trained for Camp Deal.

* English Speaking Guide

* Meals on Full board

* Camp OM at Kumbh will offer daily Yoga Classes by our Yoga instructor KARAN

GURJI and we will be offering AyurvedicPanchakarma Treatments.

CAMP CHARGES

PARTICULARSSINGLE

INRDOUBLE INR SINGLE  USD

DOUBLE USD

Deluxe Tent Attached Toilet

Rs. 6,600/- Rs. 8,800/- $ 120 $ 160

Semi Deluxe Tent Common Toilet

Rs. 4,400/- Rs. 5,550/- $ 80 $ 100

Standard Tent Common Toilet

Rs. 3,300/- Rs. 3,800/- $ 60 $ 70

Fig 2.11 Camp Charges During Kumbh Mela

FOR EXTRA BED:

PARTICULARS INR USDDeluxe Tent attached Toilet Rs. 2,200/- $ 40

34

Semi Deluxe Tent Common Toilet Rs. 1,350/- $ 25Standard Tent Common Toilet Rs. 1,100/- $ 20

Fig 2.12 Extra Bed During Kumbh Mela

Cost Include:

There will be basic facilities provided such as mattress, quilts, sleeping bags, etc.

Sufficient lights will be provided for all the tents outside and inside.

Semi Deluxe and Standard Tent Toilets will be common for every twenty five set of tents.

There will be separate dining facility to be provided for all the two hundred tents, where we are

serving all three meals pure vegetarian without onion and garlic.

We will have water filtration plant such as commercial Aqua Guard or R-O system installed at

dining hall.

TRANSPORT CHARGES

PARTICULARS Vehicle  INR USDAllahabad Railway Station to Camp Om Tata Indigo (3 Seater) Rs. 1,650/- $ 30Allahabad Railway Station to Camp Om Toyota Innova (5 Seater) Rs. 2,200/- $ 40Allahabad Airport to Camp Om Tata Indigo (3 Seater) Rs. 2,200/- $ 40Allahabad Airport to Camp Om Toyota Innova (5 Seater) Rs. 3,300/- $ 60Allahabad to Varanasi Tata Indigo (3 Seater) Rs. 3,800/-  $ 70Allahabad to Varanasi Toyota Innova (5 Seater) Rs. 6,100/- $ 110

Fig 2.13 Transport Charges During Kumbh Mela

Estimated Pilgrims during Kumbh 2013

S.

NO.Bathing  Days

Kumbh 2001 Kumbh 2013

Dates Estimated   Visitors Dates Projected Visitors

35

1 MakarSankranti 14.1.200

1

100 Lac 14.1.2013 110 Lac

2 PaushPurnima 09.1.200

1

50 Lac 27.1.2013 55 Lac

3 MauniAmawasya 24.1.200

1

276 Lac 10.2.2013 305 Lac

4 VasantPanchami 29.1.200

1

175 Lac 15.2.2013 193 Lac

5 MaghiPurnima 08.2.200

1

150 Lac 25.2.2013 165 Lac

6 MahaShivratri 21.2.200

1

50 Lac 10.3.2013 55 Lac

Table 2.14 Estimated Pilgrims during Kumbh Mela 2013

(Source: “http://kumbhmelaallahabad.gov.in/english/kumbh_at_glance.html”, as assessed on April

25 2013)

2.13 The World of the Kumbh Mela: Inside the Largest Single Gathering of Humanity

At the confluence of the Yamuna, Ganges and (mythical) Saraswati Rivers, as many as 100 million

people will participate over the next month in an ancient Hindu festival known as the Kumbh Mela.

The pilgrimage, which dates back millennia, occurs in 12-year cycles — in 2001, the Indian

government estimated a staggering 70 million congregated by the Ganges’ banks to ritually bathe in

its sacred waters.

(Source: Tharur, 2013, Jan 15, Times World)

2.14 Kumbh Mela brings economic prosperity

Kumbh Mela, the biggest congregation of the world, would generate heightened economic activity in

multiple sectors leading to a huge income levels to government agencies and to individual traders.

According to a paper published by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India

36

(ASSOCHAM), tourism, hotel, transport, health and infrastructure sectors would receive additional

boost during the Kumbh Mela event.  According to an estimate, the state government alone would

generate Rs 12,000 crores of revenue because of the Kumbh Mela.  Although the Kumbh Mela is

spiritual and religious in nature, associated economic activities would generate employment

opportunities for over six lakh workers across many sectors including eco-tourism.

The ASSOCHAM, the apex trade association of India, has published its findings of a study assessing

the impact of Kumbh Mela on various sectors in a paper titled ‘Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 – Possible

Revenue Generation Resources for Uttar Pradesh’. The assessment has detailed the impact of the

Mela on both organized and unorganized sectors.  The paper suggests that the overall business in the

course of the two months of the Kumbh Mela could be worth between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 crore.

The study provides sector-wise break-up of revenue estimates and employment generation statistics.

The Maha Kumbh will begin on January 27 and conclude on February 25.  The piligrimage will

attract a large number of foreign tourists from as far apart as Australia, UK, Canada, Malaysia,

Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.  The hospitality

industry in the region is targeting 100 per cent occupancy across the board in small, budget and

luxury hotels during the Maha Kumbh.  Apart from UP, states like Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jabalpur,

Udaipur, Bhilwara, Kota), Uttarkhand (Nainital, Mussoorie, Aulli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Ranikhet,

Almora), Punjab (Amrtisar, Ludhiana) and Himachal Pradesh (Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Panchkula),

will majorly benefit from the enhanced revenue generation with a large number of national and

foreign tourists expected to explore other destinations.

Uttar Pradesh Tourism and the Railways are likely to share in a revenue bonanza of a whopping Rs

1,500 crore along with airports and private hospitals by offering attractive tours and medical tourism

packages to the tourists and piligrims. The employment generation figures due to Kumbh are likely

going to be as follow: Hotels 2.5 lakh jobs; Airlines and airports 1.5 lakh; Tour operators 45,000,

Eco-tourism and medical tourism 50,000 and Skilled and unskilled workers for construction/

renovation 85,000. Add 55,000 new jobs in the unorganised sector comprising tour guides, taxi

drivers, interpreters, volunteers, etc and the employment generation potential of the festival stands at

a massive 6.35 lakh jobs. The Maha-Kumbh, a sacred Hindu pilgrimage, is thus expected to generate

direct and indirect business activities, the fruits of which would hopefully benefit the masses of Uttar

Pradesh.

(Source: “http://www.mediasyndicate.in/medsyn/20130111150638”, as assessed on 25 April 2013)

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2.15 Socio-Economic Impact of Maha Kumbh on Local Economy

Hinduism has established a Socio-Economic Ecosystem by celebrating various religious festivals for

whole year! The scale and economics of Maha Kumbh Mela has mind-blowing figures. According

to ASSOCHAM-India Report there will be at least 10 times more revenue generation on capital

investment (arrangements and temporary infrastructure), see data below:

Pilgrims and tourist (expected): 100 millions

Jobs (temporary) creation locally: 635,000

Investment by government: $220 million USD

Expected Revenue generation: INR 12000 Crores  (~ $ 2.2 billion)

About Foreign Tourist:

Foreign Tourists (Expected) – 1 million

Number of tourists also opting for Tour Packages for visiting other tourist destinations –

500,000

Amount (Expected ) of expenditure per tourist – $ 500

Total Revenue from Tour Packages = 500,000 X 500 = $ 250 million

BBC report the economics of India’s Kumbh Mela  has provided following arrangements for

pilgrims and tourists:

 Temporary tent city – 20000 Sq Km

Food Grain Procured – 30000 Tonnes

Toilets built- 40000

Total length of water pipes laid – 550 Km

Policeman on Duty – 30000

(Source: “http://globindian.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/maha-kumbh-holy-dip-2013-largest-

human-gathering-on-the-earth/” as assessed on 25 April 2013)

2.16 Management, Maha Kumbh Style

Nearly 10 crore pilgrims, compared to eight crore during the Purna Kumbh twelve years ago, are

estimated to take a holy dip during the 55-day event this year, says a senior health officer at the mela.

“Our biggest challenge is how to manage the enormous quantities of human waste that accumulate

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daily... We also have to prevent any outbreak of epidemic,” he adds. About 45,000 toilets have been

set up, and the challenge is to ensure uninterrupted water supply, sanitation and electricity, all for

free.

Thanks to efficient management, Kumbhnagari, the temporary township set up near Allahabad, has

remained a clean, largely polythene-free place, despite the enormous numbers of a floating

population that has no stake in its upkeep. The great river itself, particularly at the Sangam — the

confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati — remains somewhat polluted along the

20-odd bathing ghats. Compared to 2001, the Kumbh Mela area has increased from about 1,500

hectares to 2,000 hectares. The number of sectors increased from 11 to 14, and parking lots from 35

to 99. In fact, Allahabad city seems to overflow with human beings.

“There is hardly a household in the city — whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh — which has

not hosted some pilgrim acquaintances from near or far,” says a resident. The February 10 stampede

at Allahabad railway station, in which nearly 40 perished, took many by surprise as the mela area

remained incident-free despite brimming with 2-3 crore people.

The temporary township of Kumbhnagari has no fewer than 30 police stations, as many fire stations,

38 hospitals with 370 beds, and even courts and magistrates. Nearly 14,000 policemen, six ‘lost-and-

found’ centres and 100 CCTVs have been deployed for crowd management. “It is a very prestigious

posting for any administrator and bureaucrat in Uttar Pradesh to head the Kumbh Mela and prove his

or her professional competence,” says an official.

To facilitate pilgrims’ progress, a 156-km road network and 18 temporary pontoon bridges across the

river were built at the township. Set up two months ahead of the event, the township will eventually

disappear until the next Kumbh comes around.

(Source: Pandit, 2013 Feb 28. Business Style, Management, Maha Kumbh Style)

2.17 Healthcare at the Kumbh Mela

This Kumbh is arguably the largest human gathering of all time, swelling to 30 million on the holiest

day of the festival, and totaling to as much as 100 million over the course of the entire 55-day event.

By those estimates, if the Kumbh were a nation, it would be the 12 th most populous in the world.

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Delivering health care to 100 million people is an enormous task anywhere, but it’s even more

challenging when the city – and hence its hospitals – must be temporary. By the end of March, the

entire city will have been dismantled. By the time the monsoons arrive, almost the entire area of the

Kumbh will be reclaimed by the rising rivers.

Ten sector hospitals are constructed specifically for the Mela. Each of these clinics comprises a

collection of large tents that house an outpatient clinic and a 20-bed inpatient unit. The hospitals

operate 24/7 throughout the duration of the festival, though workload peaks with population surges

around the most auspicious bathing days. Each day between 500 and 800 patients arrive and are seen

– briefly – by one of the physicians on duty. These doctors come from government clinics from

around the state and are assigned to the Mela for two months apiece. The doctors work in 8-hour

shifts, have no official days off, and sleep in tents that are pitched adjacent to the clinic. Each

hospital has a pharmacy with over 90 drugs that are provided free of charge.

The centre piece of this healthcare delivery system is the central hospital in sector 2. Here patients

can be seen by a range of specialists, including orthopaedics, surgery, and obstetrics. There is a 100-

bed inpatient unit and a 2-bed ICU. Diagnostic tools such as X-ray, ultrasound and

electrocardiograms are available. Dr Srivastava, who supervises the entire healthcare delivery system

of the Mela is based here, and receives daily reports on the number of patients seen at each of the

smaller sector hospitals.

Connecting these hospitals is a fleet of more than 100 ambulances which are responsible for

transferring patients who need specialized care from the sector hospitals to the central hospital. The

ambulances, like the doctors who staff the hospitals, have been drafted from community health

centers across the state. Each ambulance arrives with its own driver, who is then provided with

accommodation at the Mela. The drivers, who receive no additional training for the Kumbh, seem to

take great pride in their work.

During our visits to the hospitals, we noted that the doctors manning the outpatient posts see up to

800 patients a day – and many times that figure on bathing day – and are clearly overstretched. Lines

of patients preclude even a cursory medical examination. No vital signs are documented and there

are no stethoscopes in sight. On the other hand, inpatient units were almost uniformly unoccupied.

Row after row of hospital beds, neatly folded red blankets, and I.V. poles stand untouched. On our

visit two days before the peak bathing day, we saw only the occasional hospitalized patient – a

testament to excess capacity in the system.

Sources:

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(Kazi, 2013 Febraury. Ephemeral Hospitals, Enduring Insights: Healthcare at the Kumbh)

( “http://fxbkumbh.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/ephemeral-hospitals-enduring-insights-healthcare-at-

the-kumbh/” as assessed on 25 April 2013)

2.18 Kumbh Mela, A Sacred Geography

Between 2000 and 2010, the population of Delhi burgeoned from 15 million to 22 million while

Shanghai's population swelled from 14 to 20 million. Compare that to the recent rise of an

impromptu city near Allahabad in India: In the week after January 14, 2013, the first day of the

Maha Kumbh Mela festival — during which Hindus gather for a sacred bath at the confluence of the

Ganga and Yamuna rivers — around 10 million people had gathered there.

When the event ends five weeks later, approximately 100 million people would have moved into and

out of Allahabad. (I say "approximately" because the precise numbers are difficult to come by.) It

took 60 years for the population of Istanbul to grow from one to 10 million, and 50 years in the case

of Lagos. At Allahabad, though, the population rose from zero to 10 million, give or take a few

million, in just a week's time.

That's a slightly unfair comparison because the local government isn't going to put in place all the

fixtures of a functional metropolis. However, it's only partly unfair. The Indian authorities do have to

pull off the creation of a huge temporary tent city with minimal mishap. An enormous amount of

urban planning, civil engineering, governance and adjudication, and maintenance of public goods —

physical ones like toilets as well as intangibles such as law and order — and plans to deal with

unexpected events goes into the creation of this city. Those are pretty much the main elements

surrounding the creation of any city in the world.

There will also be a reasonably efficient dissolution of the city when the Kumbh Mela ends in late

February, but that's another story. Some cities have declined over time, but I can't even imagine what

it would take for one of the world's major metropolises to unwind.

The mammoth people flows at Allahabad got me excited when two colleagues at Harvard University,

religion professor Diana Eck and design professor Rahul Mehrotra, broached the idea of studying the

Maha Kumbh Mela some months ago. As a child growing up in India, I had read about the festival,

but had never entertained the idea of visiting it or studying it. Having lived outside India for over

two decades, I now find myself in a position to revisit the event, intellectually and physically.

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The flows of humanity that my colleagues and I will study during the five weeks of the KumbhMela

will shed light on similar events, such as responses to unexpected events, disasters, and the like, that

will take decades to unfold in other metropolises. Some researchers are social anthropologists, in

effect, following key officials during the Mela to unmask the processes that allow efficient and rapid

decision making. In a sense, the festival is a laboratory setting that scientists of all sorts constantly

look for. While there are other large gatherings of folks, such as the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, those

are a tenth of the size in terms of the number of participants.

Another issue of interest is the emergence of social structure in complex groupings. The KumbhMela

authorities put down some bright lines on who gets to go where, when, and how — for example,

rules that govern people's movements during some religious days — and some rules are determined

by long-standing customs. Other, more informal norms among disparate groups of people seem to

emerge quickly. To those interested in how cooperation among diverse groups happens, this is a

fortuitous setting.

This is also the first Big Data Kumbh, as I call it. With cellphone usage ubiquitous in India, the

millions of cell phones at the Kumbh Mela will act as mobile sensors. My colleagues and I have

undertaken, with the help of local cellular providers and government authorities, to amass, arguably,

the biggest ever telecom data set.

To imagine the uses to which researchers could put the data, consider these hypothetical ideas. The

data could be used to understand how untoward incidents have been contained. After all, the Maha

Kumbh Mela has managed to prevent major disasters for a long time. Why don't disasters spiral out

of control when massive numbers of people, unfamiliar with each other, are involved? Can we spot

the signatures of an incipient disaster in the data, and the process by which those signals are

attenuated rather than amplified?

There is much commerce, as well as charitable exchange, of goods and services at the Kumbh Mela.

How do vendors deal with the inevitable errors in forecasting demand? Do inter-vendor

communication patterns allow the collective containment of uncertainties? Indeed, the telecom data

generated at the Kumbh Mela should provide grist to the intellectual mills of statisticians, engineers,

mathematicians, and social scientists for a long time, and allow us to model the use of this kind of

Big Data.

(Source: Eck, 2013 February. Harmony Book, Kumbh Mela, A sacred Geography)

2.19 The Construction of the Kumbh Mela

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Hindu religious tradition is often portrayed as established and unchanging by its adherents as well as

outside observers. Each of these groups can have good reasons to assert this, for Hindus, it reflects

the conviction that their religious practices are rooted in antiquity, whereas for (polemical) outsiders

it is evidence for the lack of any meaningful progress. Yet these assumptions ill explain the workings

of any religious community – which not only constantly changes in response to its times, but also

finds ways to clothe these changes in the garb of tradition. Both of these phenomena can be seen in

the Kumbha Mela, a Hindu festival that is widely believed to be the world's largest religious

gathering. The Kumbha Mela's tone and content have been profoundly altered in the recent past,

spurred by changing social, economic, and political conditions. As the real‐life KumbhaMela has

been ‘constructed’ through this process of change, one sees the corresponding ‘construction’ of the

sources (textual, mythical, and historical) to provide it with its roots, location, and raison d'être.

These ‘constructed’ sources root the Kumbha Mela in the distant past, both to give it the authority of

antiquity and to portray the festival as unchanging, but these new sources reflect these new forces.

These forces have transformed the Kumbha Mela from a theater for ascetic military power into a

government‐controlled mass religious festival, and this government control is now being challenged

by Hindu nationalists. The constant feature throughout the festival's history has been the way it has

served as a stage on which groups can enact and contest for authority.

(Source: Lochtefeld, 2013 February, “The Construction of the Kumbha Mela,” South Asian Popular

Culture)

2.20 Researches in Kumbh Mela

The KumbhMela is a Hindu religious festival that occurs every twelve years at the confluence of the

Ganga and Yamuna Rivers in the city of Allahabad. Since its inception early in the first millennium

CE, the KumbhMela has become the largest public gathering in the world; today it draws tens of

millions of pilgrims over the course of a few weeks to bathe in the auspicious rivers. The Mela

provides a forum for both individual and collective expressions of faith as pilgrims, religious

teachers, and followers of monastic orders converge from all parts of India. The next iteration of the

festival will take place from January 27-February 25, 2013.

The Mela inspires interdisciplinary research in a number of complementary fields. Pilgrimage and

religious studies, public health, design, communications, business, and infrastructure engineering

converge at this festival, producing a complex atmosphere that can be understood through rigorous

documentation and mapping, both on-site and in post-field processing. We consider the KumbhMela

to be a case study, or prototype, for a concept we would like to call the pop-up mega-city. This

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spatial model can be extended to situations outside of religious pilgrimage: understanding the spatial,

social, and logistical elements of the Kumbh Mela through interdisciplinary research will allow us to

propose the deployment of these systems in a variety of places and situations, in particular camps for

refugees of war and natural disasters.

The underlying structure of the Mela emerges in the creation of a temporary city to house its many

pilgrims. This city is laid out on a grid, constructed and deconstructed within a matter of weeks;

within the grid, multiple aspects of contemporary urbanism come to fruition, including spatial

zoning, an electricity grid, food and water distribution, physical infrastructure construction, mass

vaccinations, public gathering spaces, and nighttime social events. The ultimate goal of the pilgrims

is to bathe at the convergence of the rivers: even this act is organized into a larger procession, where

pilgrims are given specific times and opportunities to bathe based on their social status. When the

festival is not in session, the ground on which the city sits is used for different forms of agriculture.

(Source: Mehrotra Feb 2013, Times of India)

2.21 Researches at Kumbh Mela by the Researcher of Harvard University

Life at the Kumbh Mela can be heard long before it can be seen. Two hours before dawn, the

nonstop soundtrack of the world’s largest human gathering drifts up to an oasis of tents on a dusty

hill overlooking the site of the Hindu festival. At the camp, a group of Harvard professors, students,

and researchers fumbles its way into a few rented jeeps in the 5 a.m. darkness. As the fleet of

vehicles makes its descent, the narrow road suddenly opens onto a view of the Kumbh Mela, a

temporary tent city of millions of faithful Hindus, many of them already making their way to the

banks of the Ganges River to bathe in its life-affirming waters.

Normally, a crowd of Westerners wandering through the streets of the Kumbh would draw attention.

But when the group arrives at the Ganga, as the sacred river is known, its presence hardly causes a

stir.

Still, it’s a curious sight. How did three dozen Harvardians — undergraduates and graduate students,

case writers and professors, architects and anthropologists, doctors and documentarians — end up

among millions of pilgrims?

For one week in January, this sacred spot where the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati

rivers meet has become a spot for a meeting of Harvard minds. An interdisciplinary team

spearheaded by the South Asia Institute (SAI) arrived at the Kumbh on Jan. 18 with an ambitious

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plan to “map the metabolism of the city.” The confluence of northern India’s holiest rivers holds a

special significance for the millions of worshippers who attend the Kumbh, but the Harvard team is

just as interested in the tent city that springs up alongside the water.

“This idea of a megacity being set up on a temporary basis for 55 days, it’s just an incredible feat,”

said Rahul Mehrotra, one of the project’s leaders and a professor of urban design and planning at the

Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD). “It’s an intersection of the visible, the invisible, the

sacred, and the profane. Everything is colliding.”

Held every 12 years, the KumbhMela in Allahabad is a centuries-old Hindu pilgrimage with origins

in the first century CE. The gathering temporarily transforms an empty floodplain into one of the

biggest cities in the world.

For much of the year, this area actually is covered by the Ganges. Only in October can the Kumbh

Mela’s administrators and planners ascertain the lay of the land that they actually can use for the

gathering. (As one guru put it while holding forth in an ashram, “The Ganga gives what she will

give.”)

By early January, a temporary city roughly the size of Cambridge has sprung up in the dusty sand to

house hundreds of thousands of sadhus, or holy men, and millions of their followers for six weeks.

On the main bathing days, planners expect upwards of 30 million visitors, and such days often draw

media coverage for their sheer scale, devotion, and spectacle. But perhaps more impressive is the

fact that the regular rhythms of life can exist at the temporary Kumbh, from a steady supply of water

and electricity to the building of colorful, organic neighborhoods within each sector.

“Our concern is to look at this in a much larger context, and not look only at the spectacular and the

exotic,” said Diana Eck, a professor of comparative religion and Indian studies and Fredric Wertham

Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society, who co-taught a course on the Kumbh with Mehrotra in

the fall. “The life of this mela — as a marketplace, as a place of teaching, of entertainment, of

evening performances — is something that goes on every day.” (Mela is a Sanskrit word for

gathering or marketplace.)

With that in mind, teams of professors, researchers, and students from across Harvard are meeting

under one roof at the Kumbh to explore myriad issues related to rapid urbanization, public health,

business, and religious expression at this year’s festival. The teams are studying everything from the

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way marketplaces operate, to the use and types of toilets at the Kumbh, to the allocation of living

space within different akharas, or sects.

The mela’s lessons, researchers hope, could be applied in many situations. Public health workers and

doctors from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) see the

Kumbh as a model showing how to support mass migrations of people into small areas in the event

of a war or natural disaster. Urban planners from GSD, working with Mehrotra, view the gathering

as an example of how India — whose smaller cities are expected to grow dramatically in the coming

years — can best support the natural, democratic development of communities. A Harvard Business

School team dropped in for research, hoping to turn the Kumbh into one of its trademark case

studies. And Eck, a leading scholar of India’s pilgrimage tradition, sees the Kumbh as an opportunity

to wed Hinduism’s longstanding reverence for the natural environment and its sacred rivers to a

growing campaign to clean up the Ganges.

A whirlwind week at the Kumbh makes for a chaotic experience, but one that should prove fruitful

for the type of ambitious multidisciplinary work that SAI fosters, said associate director Meena

Hewett. As South Asia expands rapidly in both population and influence, Harvard can take the lead

in understanding the region, she said. (SAI’s influence has recently grown as well. Under the

leadership of director and Harvard Business School Professor TarunKhanna since 2010, it was

recently upgraded from an initiative to an institute within Harvard.)

“I think Harvard has a lot to learn” from South Asia, Hewett said. “One thing you’ll hear from all

faculty is the issue of scalability. It’s very easy to transform the lives of one or two individuals. But

when you’re working on issues that affect 2 billion people, the impact is huge. The KumbhMela is a

microcosm of the region.”

2.21.1 A lesson on urban planning of Kumbh Mela

If you wanted to jury-rig your own local version of Google Maps, you might end up with something

like the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) team gathered one January morning, already

sweltering under the rising Indian sun.

But GSD professor Rahul Mehrotra and his colleagues and students were going where Google

hasn’t: into the heart of the Maha Kumbh Mela, India’s “ephemeral city,” an impressive grid of

colorful, tent-lined streets that pops up every 12 years to accommodate the world’s largest gathering

of Hindu pilgrims.

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Instead of using a “Street View” van to capture the 360-degree sweep of the city’s streets, the

graduate students would be deployed to take panoramic shots on DSLR cameras. And in lieu of high-

resolution satellites that capture aerial photographs, the team had a high-powered handheld camera

mounted to a kite and flown high in the air.

Each akhara is allotted space by the Kumbh’s administrators before the event begins, and each

maintains a high degree of control over how it organizes its “neighborhood.” Photo by Felipe

Vera/Courtesy of GSD India Initiative

Their equipment may have been modest, but the group’s ambitions were big: to map the mela, or

gathering, as comprehensively as possible, from its informal back roads and infrastructure grid to the

flow of people and resources in and out of the Kumbh, which accommodates up to 80 million

pilgrims on peak days.

The Kumbh’s surprisingly orderly feel is a result, he believes, not just of the pilgrims’ respect for the

sacred space, but also of the city planners’ careful decision-making: wide central roads, well-spaced

public toilets, and the casual but pervasive presence of 10,000 police officers.

“Cities in India are often not about grand design, they’re about grand adjustment,” Mehrotra said

later. “In Indian cities, a lot of the landscape is a kind of temporary landscape,” a phenomenon he

calls temporal urbanism. While Indian cities may neglect the slums springing up organically within

them, the Kumbh Mela has found a way to make the temporary nature of its housing and

infrastructure work.

“At the Kumbh, [the city’s administrators] use infrastructure as a way to organize and deploy order

in the city, and then they allow within these blocks incredible chaos,” Mehrotra said. The result is a

lesson in “how infrastructure can be used as a tool to neutralize differences and still let differences

thrive.”

“If we value pluralism and we value coexistence, then these become important lessons,” he said. It’s

a common refrain for Mehrotra, whose work as an architect in India, prior to his Harvard

appointment, included projects as diverse as the conservation of the TajMahal and the design of

public toilets.

That pluralism was on full display once the sector four team left the main margs, or roads, and

entered the city-block space designated to members of the JunaAkhara, one of the largest and most

powerful sects at the Kumbh. Each akhara is allotted space by the Kumbh’s administrators before the

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event begins, and each maintains a high degree of control over how it organizes its “neighborhood.”

In the JunaAkhara area, flashing lights, displays of ornamental weapons garlanded with marigolds,

and a crowded network of alleys winding among the tents created a vibe that seemed a world apart

from the quiet, sparse, and open space of the ashram next door.

That diversity can thrive within these enclaves is one of the Kumbh’s lessons for urban planners,

especially those who study temporary spaces, such as refugee camps or slums.

“Refugee camps, some of them last for 20, 30, 40 years, but they become soulless,” Mehrotra said.

Refugees are housed in a repetitive pattern of tents; ethnic groups’ identities are “neutralized” to

prevent infighting within the camps.

“What’s interesting about the kumbh is that the neutralizing instruments are the grid, the roads, the

things that are shared by everyone,” Mehrotra said. “But then every Akhara is a community of

50,000 people who are allowed individual expression, and they all have their own internal logic in

terms of the way they’re organized. And that creates a module, a neighborhood; it creates a sense of

community — which never happens in refugee camps.”

“It’s much more clean and neat than what you would expect,” said Felipe Vera, a Chilean design

student. The Kumbh’s surprisingly orderly feel is a result, he believes, not just of the pilgrims’

respect for the sacred space, but also of the city planners’ careful decision-making. Photo by

VineetDiwadkar/Courtesy of GSD India Initiative

Since joining the GSD faculty in 2010, Mehrotra has been taking groups of students from Harvard’s

Schools to sites in Mumbai as part of his studio workshop in “extreme urbanism.” He soon realized

that whatever his students’ backgrounds — law, public policy, business, design — they often arrived

with preconceptions of how Mumbai functioned and how it should change, baggage that “took a

whole semester to unpack,” he says.

After all, the clinic didn’t even exist four months ago, when the land it stood on was still covered in

water. Back in the fall, Singh received a call from the planners of the Maha Kumbh Mela, India’s

massive religious gathering held every 12 years, saying he would be needed to staff one of the

festival’s dozens of hospitals and clinics, which would be built — like everything else in this

temporary city — virtually overnight. By early January, clinics like Singh’s were up and running,

ready to serve the millions of Hindu pilgrims who would be coming through to worship, as well a

curious Harvard researcher or two.

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“This is really impressive,” said Gregg Greenough, an emergency physician and assistant professor

of global health and population at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), as he toured the clinic.

“In my department, we only have 10 beds.”

Greenough found himself at the Kumbh as part of a research team run by Harvard’s FXB Center for

Health and Human Rights, which planned to monitor all kinds of public health concerns at the

Kumbh, from the provision of pre-hospital care (how quickly those new ambulances navigated the

Kumbh’s crowded footbridges) to the management and care of lost children (a big problem in a

crowd of millions speaking dozens of languages) to the quality of the drinking water and public

toilets at the festival.

The massive amounts of data and dozens of public health lessons will also be used back at Harvard,

where student interest in global health extends well beyond the confines of HSPH. The Harvard

Global Health Institute (HGHI), a kind of University-wide think tank on health education across

disciplines and one of two major funders of the project, along with the South Asia Institute, is

planning a series of case studies based on Harvard research at the Kumbh. They’re hoping to create a

permanent archive of research materials on the festival and its history, some of which they have

already gathered in an online bibliography.

Sources:

(Katie K, 2013 January 21. Harvard Gazette: Inside India’s pop-up city: Harvard team maps the

Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest gathering)

(Katie K, 2013, March1. Harvard Gazette: Tracking disease in a tent city: Public health researchers

follow outbreaks in real time at India’s Kumbh Mela)

2.22 Kumbh Mela; 80 Million Pilgrim March

Kumbh Mela, the festival is a full-scale assault on the germs, garbage and human waste being

generated in the temporary megacity that has been constructed to deal with the crowds. To combat

disease-carrying flies, 400 laborers will spray 28 tons of bleaching powder, along with the

insecticide DDT, over 250 garbage pits and open drains during the course of the two-month

extravaganza. They will work alongside 6,000 cleaners in green baseball caps who sweep up 56 tons

of garbage a day and bury human waste left in the open (a common practice in rural India) in 4,000

chemically treated pits.

The festival, which started on Jan. 14 and runs to March 10, is believed to be at least two millennia

old. It attracts an eclectic stew of Hindu holy men, Bollywood stars, ordinary pilgrims and curious

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tourists who come to bathe in the Ganges, India's holiest river, where drops of the nectar of

immortality are believed to have been spilled from a pitcher by the gods at creation.

Allahabad benefits from "centuries of experience" staging Kumbh events, he adds. Every year, the

city hosts the Magh Kumbh, which is one-sixth the size of the current festival. (Magh is the 11th

month of the Hindu calendar and falls between January and February.)

Once the bridges were in place, workers toiled around the clock to install a temporary electricity

grid. It had 100,000 connection points, 45 diesel generators, 52 substations and 22,000 posts carrying

2,081 miles of cable with it.

Temporary road surfaces were put down using 99 miles of double steel plating to enable cars to

move on land that cannot bear much of a load. Some 25,000 street lamps were added to the site,

which totals 22 square miles.

Some 466 miles of piping were laid to provide 27,000 connections to ground water, with the capacity

to generate 21 million gallons a day. About 30,000 toilets with closed waste pits were installed, with

9,000 to be added by Feb. 10, when the largest crowds are expected. There are five new sewage

treatment plants .Many of the staff at the festival, including 250 doctors and 400 paramedics in the

15 field hospitals, are seconded from elsewhere in the state. So are the 14,000 police officers on

patrol.

So far the biggest test for the emergency services was a fire caused by a cooking accident in a tent on

Jan. 25. The incident was reported on one of three dedicated emergency lines, and the response was

coordinated from a central police control room staffed by 70 officers. Firefighters from the 30 on-site

fire crews used mobile backpack extinguishers to tackle the blaze, which officials say was out within

15 minutes. Six people were badly burned and were airlifted to a specialized hospital in New Delhi.

(Source: 2013 February. Walstreet Journal “80 Million Pilgrim March)

2.23 Business Worth of Kumbh Mela 2013

Airlines, hotels, tour operators and Uttar Pradesh in general are likely to reap a windfall during the

Maha Kumbh Mela in the state with the government likely to see its coffers swelling by Rs 12,000

crore, according to an industry body.

50

ASSOCHAM's paper -- 'Maha Kumbh Mela 2013- Possible Revenue Generation Resources for Uttar

Pradesh' -- says that the pilgrimage would generate additional employment opportunities for over six

lakh workers in sectors spanning airlines and airports, hotels, tours, infrastructure and also trigger a

surge in medical and eco-tourism.

The unorganized sector also stands to gain substantially from the Maha Kumbh, says the Associated

Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

A large number of foreign tourists are expected to attend the Kumbh Mela

with ASSOCHAM Secretary General DS Rawat saying that visitors would be arriving from as far

apart as Australia, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Mauritius,

Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

The hospitality industry in the region is targeting 100 per cent occupancy across the board in small,

budget and luxury hotels during the Maha Kumbh.

"Apart from UP, states like Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jabalpur, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Kota), Uttarkhand

(Nainital, Mussoorie, Aulli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Ranikhet, Almora), Punjab (Amrtisar, Ludhiana)

and Himachal Pradesh( Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Panchkula), too, will majorly benefit from the

enhanced revenue generation with a large number of foreign tourists expected to explore other

destination.

Uttar Pradesh Tourism and the Railways are likely to share in a revenue bonanza of a whopping Rs

1,500 crore along with airports and private hospitals by offering attractive tours and medical tourism

packages to the foreign and domestic visitors thronging the region, the ASSOCHAM paper says.

The Maha-Kumbh will generate much direct and indirect business activities, the fruits of which

would hopefully benefit the masses of Uttar Pradesh, The paper suggests that the overall business in

the course of the two months of the Kumbh Mela could be worth between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000

crore.

According to the sector-wise break-up devised by ASSOCHAM, the Kumbh employment generation

figures are likely going to be as follow: Hotels 2.5 lakh jobs; Airlines and airports 1.5 lakh; Tour

operators 45,000, Eco-tourism and medical tourism 50,000 and Skilled and unskilled workers for

construction/ renovation 85,000.

Add 55,000 new jobs in the unorganised sector comprising tour guides, taxi drivers, interpreters,

volunteers, etc and the employment generation potential of the festival stands at a massive 6.35 lakh

jobs.

51

(Source: 2013, Jan 12.The Economic Times: Kumbh Mela: 'Overall business could be worth

between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 crore)

2.24 Opportunities for Corporate Market in Kumbh Mela 2013

For dozens of companies such as JCB, the world's largest religious celebration held every 12 years

is sheer marketing nirvana. The Kumbh Mela has always been a big business opportunity, but this

time companies are going the extra distance to promote their brands by using traditional

entertainment and modern technology to connect with consumers, be it middle class pilgrims or ash-

smeared sadhus. 

"Not only are companies becoming more concerned about consumers at the Kumbh grounds but they

are also realising the importance of subtlety for their services and promotions," says Pradeep

Kashyap, CEO of rural marketing consultancy MART.

Mobile service provider Vodafone India, for instance, is reaching out to consumers by screening

films and providing musical ear-muffs, wired with in-built speakers that play devotional songs.

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has a basketball ring at its stall for people to shoot hoops

and win free biscuits with their cups of Horlicks while cosmetics company Emami Ltd has set up

massage kiosks for pilgrims to experience its Navratna Oil brand. It has also introduced stilt-walkers

to hand out dry sampling packs.

According to Infinity Advertising Services, the official advertising firm for the 2013 Kumbh Mela,

about 52 companies are at the fair this year. Allahabad is not their only opportunity to reach out to

rural consumers: India has about 25,000 rural fairs each year and companies use around one-tenth of

them to expand their rural presence. 

"It takes organisers 60 days to set up this mela, which has an estimated population equal to that of

any of the four metros. This has always been a great place for companies to market their products,"

says Kashyap. All experts agree there is big money at the Maha Kumbh. According to an Associated

Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) report, this year's fair is likely to

bump up Uttar Pradesh's coffers by Rs 12,000 crore, apart from generating employment for airlines,

airports, tour operators and a host of other sectors.  Government officials estimate up to 30 million

people take a dip at the Sangam - the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati

52

rivers - on the main Shahi Snan days. With such massive numbers of people, the Kumbh Mela is the

subject of a Harvard University case study on the logistics behind the "pop-up mega-city" that comes

up in Allahabad during the religious festival. As the Kumbh Mela goes up market, visitors do not

have to grunge it out in makeshift tents anymore. For about Rs 11,000 a night, they can stay in

luxury tents offering all the creature comforts they want from tiled bathrooms to buffet breakfasts.

(Source: 2013, March 3. Business Today: How Corporate India is making the most of the Maha

Kumbh)

2.25 ASSOCHAM Analysis on Job Prospects in Maha Kumbh Mela 2013

Sector No. of Persons

Airlines & Airports 1.5 lakhs

Hotel Industry 2.5 lakhs

Tour Operators 45,000

Eco Tourism & Medical Tourism 50,000

Skilled & Unskilled Workforce

Construction/ Up gradation 85,000

Unorganized Sector

(Tourist Guides, Taxi Drivers,

Interpreters, Volunteers etc.) 55,000

Total 6.35 lakhs

Table 2.15 Job opportunities in Kumbh Mela 2013

(Source: “http://mappingthemela.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/mahakumbha-a-boon-for-business-

sector/”, as assessed on 25 April 2013)

53

54

Chapter 3

Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. In it we study the

various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in studying his research problem along with

the logic behind them. The research question here is to study the social and economic aspects of the

Kumbh Mela 2013 from the point of view of pilgrims as well as institution. And also, it is voluntary

to measure the satisfaction level of the pilgrims towards the facilities and arrangements of made by

the government.

3.2 Research questions

The research question here is to study the social and economic aspects of the Kumbh Mela 2013

from the point of view of pilgrims as well as institution. And also, it is voluntary to measure the

satisfaction level of the pilgrims towards the facilities and arrangements made by the government.

3.3 Objective of the research

The main objective of the research is to analyze the social and economic aspect of the Kumbh Mela

2013, held at Allahabad. We tried to explore that whether the services rendered by the governments

were satisfying the needs of the Kalpvasis or not? The pocket size of the pilgrims and institution in

the Kumbh Mela was also included as a part of the study. The aim was also to study the social and

demographic aspects of the pilgrims who resided in the Mela premises atleast for a week.

3.4 Scope of the Research

The Kumbh Mela is considered as the biggest gathering of humans at a time on the planet. It was

given an authorization of a district for 2 months period. The estimated worth of Maha Kumbh Mela

2013 was 1500 crore Rupees, creating around 6.5 lakhs jobs, and therefore justifying the scope of the

study. Therefore, there was a vast scope to study the social and economic aspects of the demography,

which was actually attracting the researchers from all over the world.

55

3.5 Field of Study

Our study is in following areas:

I. Various facilities provided by the government

II. Duration of their stay in Kumbh Mela

III. Pilgrims family background

IV. Means of transportation with in Mela area

V. Role of self-help groups

VI. Availability of essential products in Mela area

VII. Purpose of pilgrims visit to Kumbh Mela

VIII. Expected expenditure of both pilgrims and vendors during Kumbh Mela.

IX. Instruction boards in Mela area

X. Security system of Mela area

XI. What is the booking system of vendors to provide facilities to pilgrims

XII. Information about Kumbh Mela on its official website.

XIII. Management of crowd

XIV. Transport facilities in Mela area

XV. Cleanliness of Mela area

56

3.6 Research Process

I. The research problem: To study the social and economic aspects of Kumbh Mela 2013.

The purpose of this study is to check the satisfaction level of Pilgrims who came for various

locations to attend Maha Kumbh 2013 as well as of the institutions which establish their

business in the event. It was also done to check the support of Government and Non-

Government Organizations in maintaining the event.

II. Extensive literature survey: This is the most important part of any research because it

gives us the understanding to do our research in the right direction. So we undertake

extensive literature survey connected with the problem. For this purpose, we go to the

abstracting and indexing journals and published or unpublished bibliographies. We tapped

academic journals, newspapers, books etc.

III. Research design: For our research we obtain the information from extensive Literature

Review and Survey. As the purpose of our research study is that of exploration that why we

chose a flexible research design which provides opportunity for considering many different

aspects of a problem. The questionnaire will be prepared and will be filled by directly

interviewing the pilgrims. Convenience sampling will adopted for data collection.

Afterwards the data will be analyzed using graphical depiction and cross tabulation tools in

SPPS software.

a) Determining sample design: As the total geographical area of interest is big, we

chose Convenience Sampling. The subjects are selected just because they are easiest

to recruit for the study and the researcher did not consider selecting subjects that are

representative of the entire population. a) Target Population: The conduction of the

survey took place by considering the Pilgrims of the Maha Kumbh 2013 as the target

responders for Demographic Profiling and the Institution members for the

Institutional Questionnaire.

b) Sample Size and Sample Technique: The sample chosen for our Project is

Convenience sample. When population elements are selected for inclusion in the

sample based on the ease of access, it can be called convenience sampling. The

sample size for the survey was taken to be around 2000.

57

IV. Collecting the data: Questionnaire technique was used for the purpose of data collection.

Close ended questionnaire were framed and we interviewed pilgrims from different sectors

of the Kumbh Mela premises to get detail and unbiased desired information.

Questionnaire Format: The Questionnaire designed for the survey is divided into following

parts-

1) Demographic Profiling- This part contained questions related to Age, Gender,

Location, etc.

2) Income & Expenditure- This part contained questions related to money spent

throughout the Mela.

3) Satisfaction level for various services- In this part 37 questions were asked on 3 point

Likert scale according to how much the respondents are satisfied with various services.

Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied

Table 3.1- Likert Scale to check Satisfaction Level.

V. Execution of the project: To execute our project a very important step is research process.

Approximately 4 months for our project. We divide our time such a manner that we are able

to complete our research within predetermined time.

Literature Review one and half month

Sampling of questionnaire 15 days

Plot survey and design final questionnaire 20 days

Final survey on 24th February 2013

Analysis of data 1 month

VII. Analysis of data: After the data have been collected, we turn to the task of analyzing them.

For the analysis of data we have done number of closely related operations such as

establishment of categories, the application of these categories to raw data through coding,

tabulation and then drawing statistical inferences. Thus, we have classified the raw data into

some purposeful and usable categories. The SPSS software was used to serve the purpose. The

following process of analysis was adopted.

58

Coding & Editing is done to to facilitate interpretation of data in SPSS.

Tabulation operation we do for the getting data in the form of tables. Analysis work after

tabulation is generally based on the computation of various percentages, coefficients, etc., by

applying various well defined statistical formulae.

Statistical Inferences: The collected data will be analyzed using following statistical tools

with the help of SPSS :

a) Frequency analysis and Graphical depiction: In statistics the frequency (or absolute

frequency) of an event is the number of times the event occurred in an experiment or study.

These frequencies are often graphically represented in histograms. The relative

frequency (or empirical probability) of an event refers to the absolute

frequency normalized by the total number of events. The data will also be depicted in terms

of pie chart, bar graphs etc.

b) Cross Tabulation: Cross tabulation (or crosstabs for short) is a statistical process that

summarizes categorical data to create a contingency table.

c) .Factor Analysis: Factor analysis a technique that is used for data reduction. It is used to

find factors among observed variables. In other words, if your data contains many variables,

you can use factor analysis to reduce the number of variables. Factor analysis groups

variables with similar characteristics together. With factor analysis you can produce a small

number of factors from a large number of variables which is capable of explaining the

observed variance in the larger number of variables. The reduced factors can also be used for

further analysis.

VIII. Conclusion and Suggestions– After performing analysis of various aspects of the project, the

final conclusion is taken out of the findings to solve the actual Research problem. In this

section the conclusions were drawn on the basis of the data analysis. The entire project was

then compiled in the form of a report.

59

Chapter-4

Analysis and Interpretation

4.1 Factor Analysis

Factor analysis is a method of data reduction.  It does this by seeking underlying unobservable

(latent) variables that are reflected in the observed variables (manifest variables).   There are many

different methods that can be used to conduct a factor analysis (such as principal axis factor,

maximum likelihood, generalized least squares, unweighted least squares), There are also many

different types of rotations that can be done after the initial extraction of factors, including

orthogonal rotations, such as varimax and equimax, which impose the restriction that the factors

cannot be correlated, and oblique rotations, such as promax, which allow the factors to be correlated

with one another.  You also need to determine the number of factors that you want to extract.  Given

the number of factor analytic techniques and options, it is not surprising that different analysts could

reach very different results analyzing the same data set.  However, all analysts are looking for simple

structure.  Simple structure is pattern of results such that each variable loads highly onto one and

only one factor.

Factor analysis is a technique that requires a large sample size.  Factor analysis is based on the

correlation matrix of the variables involved, and correlations usually need a large sample size before

they stabilize.  Tabachnick and Fidell (2001, page 588) cite Comrey and Lee's (1992) advise

regarding sample size: 50 cases is very poor, 100 is poor, 200 is fair, 300 is good, 500 is very good,

and 1000 or more is excellent.  As a rule of thumb, a bare minimum of 10 observations per variable

is necessary to avoid computational difficulties

(Source:- http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/output/principal_components_files/M255.SAV)

60

4.1.1 KMO and Bartlett’s Test

Table 4.1- Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy - This measure varies between 0 and 1, and

values closer to 1 are better.  A value of .5 is a suggested minimum.  Taken together, these tests

provide a minimum standard which should be passed before a factor analysis (or a principal

components analysis) should be conducted.

From the above table we can see that the value of KMO=0.758 which is above the minimum standard required of KMO’s value to be 0.5. Thus the minimum standard required to be passed before conducting Factor Analysis is attained.

61

KMO and Bartlett's Test

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .758

Bartlett's Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square 2.018E4

df 630

Sig. .000

62

4.1.2 Total Variance Matrix4.1.2 Total Variance Explained

Component

Initial Eigenvalues b

Extraction Sums of Squared

Loadingsf

Rotation Sums of Squared

Loadingsg

Totalc

% of

Varianced

Cumulativee

% Total

% of

Variance

Cumulative

% Total

% of

Variance

Cumulative

%

1 6.341 17.615 17.615 6.341 17.615 17.615 3.363 9.343 9.343

2 3.512 9.756 27.370 3.512 9.756 27.370 3.303 9.174 18.517

3 2.840 7.889 35.259 2.840 7.889 35.259 3.133 8.703 27.220

4 2.301 6.393 41.652 2.301 6.393 41.652 2.695 7.487 34.707

5 1.781 4.948 46.600 1.781 4.948 46.600 2.301 6.392 41.099

6 1.552 4.312 50.912 1.552 4.312 50.912 2.220 6.165 47.264

7 1.396 3.879 54.791 1.396 3.879 54.791 2.187 6.075 53.339

8 1.229 3.415 58.206 1.229 3.415 58.206 1.752 4.867 58.206

9 1.192 3.310 61.516

10 1.168 3.245 64.761

11 1.086 3.016 67.777

12 .979 2.721 70.498

13 .888 2.467 72.965

14 .831 2.309 75.274

15 .779 2.165 77.439

16 .726 2.016 79.454

17 .650 1.806 81.261

18 .621 1.724 82.985

19 .558 1.550 84.535

20 .530 1.471 86.006

21 .492 1.366 87.372

22 .461 1.282 88.653

23 .449 1.248 89.901

24 .406 1.128 91.029

25 .367 1.019 92.047

26 .354 .984 93.032

27 .344 .957 93.988

28 .329 .915 94.903

29 .297 .825 95.729

30 .277 .769 96.497

31 .247 .687 97.184

32 .231 .641 97.825

A. Factor - The Initial Number of factors used is Eight (8) as assigned by us.

b. Initial Eigen values - Eigen values are the variances of the factors.  Because we conducted our

factor analysis on the correlation matrix, the variables are standardized, which means that the each

variable has a variance of 1, and the total variance is equal to the number of variables used in the

analysis, in this case, 36. 

c. Total - This column contains the eigen values.  The first factor will always account for the most

variance (and hence have the highest eigen value), and the next factor will account for as much of the

left over variance as it can, and so on.  Hence, each successive factor will account for less and less

variance. 

d. % of Variance - This column contains the percent of total variance accounted for by each factor.

e. Cumulative % - This column contains the cumulative percentage of variance accounted for by the

current and all preceding factors.  For example, the eight rows show a value of 58.206%.  This

means that the first eight factors together account for 58.206% of the total variance. 

f. Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings - The number of rows in this panel of the table

correspond to the number of factors retained.  In this example, we requested that eight factors be

retained, so there are eight rows, one for each retained factor.  The values in this panel of the table

the left panel of the table, because they are based on the common variance, which is always smaller

than the total variance are calculated in the same way as the values in the left panel, except that here

the values are based on the common variance.  The values in this panel of the table will always be

lower than the values in.

g. Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings - The values in this panel of the table represent the

distribution of the variance after the varimax rotation.  Varimax rotation tries to maximize the

variance of each of the factors, so the total amount of variance accounted for is redistributed over the

eight extracted factors.

63

.

4.1.3 Rotated Component Matrixa

Component

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Wood availability at

public places for

bon-fire

.787

Management of

crowd.750

Availability of

Boating facility.747

Availability of

Transportation.703

64

Traffic Management

System.619

Government Ration

Shops

Website developed

for Kumbh Mela.746

Display panel

regularly updating

information about

train running status

.705

Display panel

regularly updating

information about

bus status

.663

Availability of

updated information

about Kumbh Mela

on website

.624

Ease of website

accessibility.565

Railway reservations

services

Support of police .753

Security of self and

belongings.651

Lost and found

guidance.607

Communication and

Announcements.586

Efficiency of

Electricity supply.570

Police and

government

personnel’s

imparting the right

information

65

Conditions of Roads .697

Conditions of

Pontoon Bridges.689

Medical facilities

( Number of

Hospitals,

Availability of

services and

medicine)

.645

Drinking water

facilities.521

Adequacy of price

for essential

products

.775

Quality of products

as per the price paid.766

Availability of

Variety of products.533

Efficiency of

Banking facilities.741

Availability of Fire

fighting facilities.580

Efficiency of Postal

services

Availability of

essential products

Display boards

indicating directions

to specific locations

or ashrams

.727

Adequate number of

Signboards and

directions

.587

Availability of fuel

for cooking

66

Proper Bathing

facility

Quality of network

for your mobile.660

Sanitation facilities -.592

ATM’s functioning

Extraction Method: Principal Component

Analysis.

Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser

Normalization.

Table 4.3- Rotated component Matrix

a. Rotation converged in 11 iterations.

4.1.4 -Rotated Component Matrix After Adjustment

Factors   Component  Variables 1 2 3 4 5

  Administrative Services   

Wood availability at public places for bon-fire

0.7872

Management of crowd 0.7501

Availability of Boating facility 0.7469

Availability of Transportation 0.7027

Traffic Management System 0.6193 Adequate number of Signboards and directions

0.5873

  Information Technology

Website developed for Kumbh Mela 0.7456 Display boards indicating directions to specific locations or ashrams

0.7274

Display panel regularly updating 0.7054  

67

    

information about train running statusDisplay panel regularly updating information about bus status

0.6631

Availability of updated information about Kumbh Mela on website

0.6239

Ease of website accessibility 0.5655

Quality of network for your mobile 0.6599  Safety and Security   

Support of police 0.7525

Security of self and belongings 0.6506

Availability of Fire fighting facilities 0.5799  

Communication and Announcements 0.5864

Efficiency of Electricity supply 0.5699

 Basic Amenities  

Conditions of Roads 0.6972

Conditions of Pontoon Bridges 0.6889

Efficiency of Banking facilities 0.7411 Medical facilities ( Number of Hospitals, Availability of services and medicine)

0.645

Drinking water facilities 0.5212  Product & Pricing 

Adequacy of price for essential products 0.775

Quality of products as per the price paid 0.766

Availability of Variety of products 0.533

Table 4.4- Rotated Component Matrix after adjustment

4.1.5 Analysis of Rotated Component Matix After Adjustment

a- Rotated Factor Matrix - This table contains the rotated factor loadings (factor pattern matrix),

which represent both how the variables are weighted for each factor but also the correlation between

the variables and the factor.  Because these are correlations, possible values range from -1 to +1.  On

the Coefficient Display Format, we used the option suppress absolute value less than point five (0.5),

which tells SPSS not to print any of the correlations that are 0.5 or less.  This makes the output easier

to read by removing the clutter of low correlations that are probably not meaningful anyway.

b- Factor - The columns under this heading are the rotated factors that have been extracted.  Five

factors were extracted (the eight factors that we requested).  These are the factors that analysts are

most interested in and try to name.  For example, the first factor is called "Administrative Services"

because items like "Wood availability at public places for bon-fire", "Management of crowd" and

“Availability of Transportation” load highly on it.  The second factor might be called "Information

Technology" because items like "Website developed for Kumbh Mela" and "Display panel regularly

68

updating information about train running status" load highly on it.  The same procedure is followed

for the third, fourth and fifth factors.

69

4.2 Reliability Analysis

Reliability analysis allows you to study the properties of measurement scales and the items that make

them up. The Reliability Analysis procedure calculates a number of commonly used measures of

scale reliability and also provides information about the relationships between individual items in the

scale. Interclass correlation coefficients can be used to compute interrater reliability estimates.

One way to think of reliability is that other things being equal, a person should get the same score on

the questionnaire if they complete it at two different points in time. Another way to look at reliability

is to say that two people who are the same in usual way to look at reliability is based on the idea that

individual items (or set of items) should produce results consistence with the overall questionnaire.

To Obtain a Reliability Analysis

This feature requires the Statistics Base option.

 From the menus choose:

Analyze > Scale > Reliability Analysis...

 Select two or more variables as potential components of an additive scale.

 Choose a model from the Model drop-down list.

70

4.2.1 Scale: Administrative Services (Table 4.5)

4.2.1.1 Case Processing Summary

N %

Cases Valid 1377 98.9

Excludeda 16 1.1

Total 1393 100.0

a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.

4.2.1.2 Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.724 6

4.2.1.3 Item-Total Statistics

Scale Mean if

Item Deleted

Scale Variance

if Item Deleted

Corrected Item-

Total

Correlation

Cronbach's

Alpha if Item

Deleted

Wood availability at

public places for bon-fire8.1721 6.673 .578 .651

Availability of

Transportation8.1220 6.628 .548 .658

Traffic Management

System8.2963 6.757 .513 .669

Availability of Boating

facility8.2600 6.543 .559 .654

Management of crowd 8.1946 6.118 .572 .647

Adequate number of

Signboards and directions8.5991 9.271 -.030 .793

Table 4.5

AnalysisIn the above case of Administrative Services, the percentage of valid cases is 98.9 and the value of

Cronbach's Alpha is also more than 0.5, here it being 0.724, hence the questions asked has a greater

amount of reliability in proving the efficiency of administrative services.

71

4.2.2 Scale: Information Technology (Table 4.6)

4.2.2.1 Case Processing Summary

N %

Cases Valid 1344 96.5

Excludeda 49 3.5

Total 1393 100.0

a. List wise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.

4.2.2.2 Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.716 7

72

4.2.2.3Item-Total Statistics

Scale Mean if

Item Deleted

Scale Variance

if Item Deleted

Corrected Item-

Total

Correlation

Cronbach's Alpha

if Item Deleted

Website developed for

Kumbh Mela9.5739 5.884 .522 .662

Display panel regularly

updating information about

train running status

9.6252 5.280 .603 .634

Display panel regularly

updating information about

bus status

9.5575 5.606 .469 .673

Availability of updated

information about Kumbh

Mela on website

9.4824 5.549 .611 .638

Ease of website

accessibility9.4600 5.631 .560 .650

Quality of network for

your mobile9.6967 7.511 -.051 .787

Display boards indicating

directions to specific

locations or ashrams

9.8289 6.204 .348 .702

Table 4.6

Analysis

In the above case of Information Technology, the percentage of valid cases is 96.5 and the value of

Cronbach's Alpha is also more than 0.5, here it being 0.716, hence the questions asked has a good

amount of reliability in proving the effectiveness of Information Technology at the Mela.

73

4.2.3 Scale: Safety and Security (Table 4.7)

4.2.3.1 Case Processing Summary

N %

Cases Valid 1380 99.1

Excludeda 13 .9

Total 1393 100.0

a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.

4.2.3.2 Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.691 5

74

4.2.3.3 Item-Total Statistics

Scale Mean if

Item Deleted

Scale Variance

if Item Deleted

Corrected

Item-Total

Correlation

Cronbach's

Alpha if Item

Deleted

Communication and

Announcements5.2370 2.658 .449 .640

Security of self and

belongings5.2333 2.397 .574 .583

Support of police 5.2848 2.508 .556 .595

Availability of Fire

fighting facilities5.0362 2.949 .245 .726

Efficiency of Electricity

supply5.2348 2.654 .433 .647

Table 4.7

Analysis

In the above case of Information Technology, the percentage of valid cases is 99.1 and the value of

Cronbach's Alpha is also more than 0.5, here it being 0.691, hence the questions asked has a

significant relevance in proving the effectiveness of Safety and Security stronghold at the

Kumbhmela,2013.

4.2.4 Scale: Basic Amenities (Table 4.8)

4.2.4.1 Case Processing Summary

N %

Cases Valid 1369 98.3

Excludeda 24 1.7

Total 1393 100.0

a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.

4.2.4.2 Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.673 5

75

4.2.4.3 Item-Total Statistics

Scale Mean if

Item Deleted

Scale Variance

if Item Deleted

Corrected

Item-Total

Correlation

Cronbach's

Alpha if Item

Deleted

Conditions of Roads 5.3842 2.509 .483 .596

Conditions of Pontoon

Bridges5.3652 2.614 .493 .589

Efficiency of Banking

facilities5.2615 3.396 .169 .726

Medical facilities

( Number of Hospitals,

Availability of services

and medicine)

5.5091 2.807 .537 .577

Drinking water facilities 5.5771 2.980 .504 .597

Table 4.8

Analysis

In the above case of Basic Amenities, the percentage of valid cases is 98.3 and the value of

Cronbach's Alpha is also more than 0.5, here it being 0.673, hence the questions asked are reliable in

proving the effectiveness of the Basic Amenities available at the Kumbhmela, 2013.

4.2.5 Scale: Product and Pricing (Table 4.9)

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4.2.5.1 Case Processing Summary

N %

Cases Valid 1391 99.9

Excludeda 2 .1

Total 1393 100.0

a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.

4.2.5.2 Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.712 3

4.2.5.3 Item-Total Statistics

Scale Mean if

Item Deleted

Scale Variance

if Item Deleted

Corrected

Item-Total

Correlation

Cronbach's

Alpha if Item

Deleted

Availability of Variety of

products3.3091 2.012 .424 .740

Adequacy of price for

essential products3.0582 1.567 .593 .540

Quality of products as per

the price paid3.1280 1.604 .583 .553

Table 4.9

Analysis

In the above case of Product and Pricing, the percentage of valid cases is 99.9 and the value of

Cronbach's Alpha is also more than 0.5, here it being 0.71, hence the questions asked are reliable in

proving the balance between the various products available at the Kumbh Mela, 2013 and their

respective pricing which were charged from the customers.

Chapter 5

Conclusion & Suggestions

After the analysis of the collected data explaining the satisfaction level of kalpwasis, we can

conclude the following:

I. Most of the people seemed to be satisfied with the administrative services provided by the

government such as management of crowd, by providing adequate number of Pontoon

Bridges, a large area for lodging and very viable traffic management system.

II. The analysis shows that with the advancement in information technology, Kumbh Mela had

not remained untouched. In the factor analysis test seven variables were joined together for

the information technology, which is the maximum in comparison to other factors.

77

III. The display panels regularly updating information about trains and buses, the website of

Kumbh Mela and the quality of mobile network were important information technology

tools which proved to be of significant help for the kalpwasis. They also gave a satisfactory

remark for these services.

IV. There was also a Lost and Found service available which was efficient enough to help the

people with any respective inconveniences faced by them.

V. The bathing Ghats were well maintained for providing better facilities and were

large .enough to accommodate lakhs of pilgrims taking bath at the same time.

VI. Sufficient number of drinking water points were made at the Kumbh Mela so that none

would face any kind of drinking water problems..

VII. Several health camps and even private hospitals were set up at various points in different

sectors at the Kumbh Mela to avoid any kind of medical emergency.

VIII. Administrative services regarding maintaining hygiene and sanitation were very efficient

and highly appreciated by the people.

IX. Dissatisfaction prevailed among the people present at the Kumbh Mela regarding the high

prices charged from them for products of basic necessities.

X. Overall satisfaction level among the people present at the Kumbh Mela was high regarding

all the services and facilities available to them during their span of stay.

On the basis of the entire study and survey conducted, the following suggestions can be helpful for

the future in order to provide more hassle free Kumbh Mela in future.

I. Pricing of the products should have been more reasonable so that pilgrims from different

strata of the society could avail them..

II. Variety and quality of the products available needed to be improved.

III. The drainage facilities needs to be improved by the organizations and waste of the camps

should not be dumped just outside the camps.

IV. The lost and found services had a scope of better communicating with the people.

V. .Awareness about the Kumbh Mela website should have been promoted by the

administrators among the visitors to make them realize its utility.

78

VI. Mobile network facilities should be improved to maintain the connectivity among the

people.

VII. Mobile charging points should have been made available at various locations in the

premises.

VIII. . The organizations must depute more and more volunteers to help the pilgrims during the

Snans and Parvs.

.

References

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the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest gathering

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81

Annexure 1

Questionnaire on Demographics

Annexure 2

82

Questionnaire on Institutions

83