|
|
Article: Politics flow at the meeting of three rivers: Some 70 million Hindu pilgrims attend the two-month-long Kumbh Mela festival.(World)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- February 9, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
In the frigid fog of daybreak, millions of pilgrims make their way to the juncture of three rivers, the Ganges, the Jamuna, and the mythical underground Saraswati, all in hopes of washing away their sins.
For centuries, this two-month-long Hindu festival called the Kumbh Mela has attracted Indians of all castes - questioners and faithful alike.
But this year, the Kumbh has taken on a political tone, with politicians and muckrakers wrapping themselves in the saffron cloth of Hinduism to reach devout Hindu voters.
Call it the politics of bathing, but don't call it an entirely welcome trend.
"This is the first time the Kumbh has been ...