NEW DELHI, Feb 19 : The values of “inclusivity and social dialogue” embodied in the Kumbh Mela in India are essential in the contemporary world, UNESCO’s South Asia director Tim Curtis said on Wednesday.
Kumbh Mela was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.
The Regional Office for South Asia in New Delhi in a post on X shared photographs of Curtis’s visit to the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.
“At the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Tim Curtis, Director @UNESCO South Asia, emphasized: ‘The values embodied in Kumbh Mela — such as inclusivity & social dialogue — are essential in our contemporary world’,” it posted on the social media platform.
The official X handle of ‘Maha Kumbh’ also shared some photographs of his visit.
“Mr Tim Curtis, UNESCO Director of New Delhi Regional Office and Representative to Bhutan, Bharat, Maldives & Sri Lanka, visited the Kala Kumbh in Prayagraj. #MahaKumbh202,” it posted.
In October 2023, Curtis assumed the position of director and representative for the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia.
The UNESCO South Asia in another post on X wrote: “Recognized as an #IntangibleCulturalHeritage by #UNESCO, #KumbhMela reflects India’s vibrant cultural traditions.”
Being held after 12 years, the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj started on January 13 and will conclude on February 26.
“Kumbh Mela (the festival of the sacred Pitcher) is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, during which participants bathe or take a dip in a sacred river. Devotees believe that by bathing in the Ganges one is freed from sins liberating her/him from the cycle of birth and death,” according to a description of the festival on UNESCO’s website.
“The congregation includes ascetics, saints, sadhus, aspirants-kalpavasis and visitors. The festival is held at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik every four years by rotation and is attended by millions of people irrespective of caste, creed or gender. Its primary bearers, however, belong to akhadas and ashrams, religious organisations, or are individuals living on alms,” it says.
The city of Allahabad was renamed to Prayagraj in 2018.
On Tuesday, the footfall for the holy dip at Triveni Sangam crossed the 55-crore mark, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement. (PTI)
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