A fire broke out this Sunday in one of the camps of the Hindu festival of Kumbh Melathe largest human gathering on the planet, no victims reportedwhile Indian authorities claim to have controlled the flames.
The fire arose in sector 19 of the aforementioned festival but have already been controlledsaid Kumbh Mela Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi, adding that no injuries have been reported.
The additional director general of Police of Prayagraj, the city where the festival is taking place, told the Indian agency PTI that the fire was the result of a explosion of “two or three gas cylinders”. The balance of damage is unknown at this time.
The colossal Kumbh Mela festival began last Monday in Prayagraj, and About 450 million people are expected to pass through it until its completion on February 26, making it the largest human gathering on the planet.
To accommodate this tide of pilgrims, who come to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Sarasvati rivers – all of which are sacred – the authorities have erected a temporary city from scratch with more than 160,000 shelters and tents and 150,000 toilets. According to belief, this bath purifies them from their sins, frees them from the cycle of reincarnations and brings them closer to spiritual liberation.
The total area of this ephemeral city, located on the banks of the rivers, is about 10,000 hectares, and during the 45 days of the festival it is packed with worshipers, tourists and even sadhus (Hindu ascetics covered in ash and long hair).
More than 50 million people They passed through the Kumbh Mela on its first two days, considered especially auspicious. It is expected that on the day of the next holy bath – January 29 – attendance may reach 100 million people.
Prayagraj hosts the massive festival every twelve years Hindu since, according to mythology, it is believed that a drop of nectar of immortality fell into it from a vessel disputed by gods and demons. From this mythological battle the Kumbh Mela festival was born.
In addition to a large police force of 50,000 officers, to ensure security and control stampedes, with the help of cameras, the authorities have also deployed means to combat possible fires that can occur during the six weeks of the festival.
#fire #breaks #Hindu #festival #Kumbh #Mela #largest #human #gathering #planet
