Curatorial Note

As our phones are flooded with news and social media circulation covering the proceedings of the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, a cyclic religious event attracting millions of pilgrims about once every three years and spread across four locations in rotation, preparations for the next one to be hosted in 2027 at Nashik are already underway. Perspectives on the Kumbh usually come from outsiders, visitors and experts alike, however this has perhaps undermined the concerns of the host cities. To start with, the number of pilgrims participating in the Kumbh Mela has seen an exponential rise over the last few years, owing to multiple factors including conventional and social media coverage, better connectivity, and rising religiosity. The four cities hosting the event are under a continuously exceeding pressure of hosting more pilgrims than their previous one, and perhaps also to outperform the other three host cities. This parallels exceeding pressure on the host cities, and especially in Nashik where the events are held in the heart of the city, along the much narrower banks and width of River Godavari. Immense state funding to develop urban infrastructure often irreversibly transforms the Kumbh cities. In this context, some of the questions to ask would include: Has the Kumbh become a stage to show political muscle at the expense of the host city? Can we balance, if not marry, the interests of the city’s residents and pilgrims to think of alternative approaches that are sustainable in the long run? We raise some concerns here through much less discussed issues about Nashik’s experience of hosting the Kumbh in the past and some possible future trajectories.

Collaborator

Funding is provided by the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Cornell University.