A Hinduphobic Gaze on the Maha Kumbh
- authored by Pushpita Prasad
Western mainstream media’s misrepresentation of the Maha Kumbh reveals a persistent inability to engage with Hindu culture on its own terms
With the return of the Maha Kumbh Mela after 144 years, humanity is witnessing an unparalleled Hindu gathering of faith, devotion, and joy in the ancient land of Bharat. The images, stories and numbers are splendid yet sublime in a totally Sanatani way. However, as predictable as sunrise, this momentous occasion in humanity’s civilizational history has been met with the usual Hinduphobic framing by sections of the legacy media.
As Hindus come together in vast numbers to celebrate their spiritual heritage, performing time-honored rituals deeply embedded in their culture, it is promptly labeled a “spectacle” by journalists at international outlets such CNN and BBC.
Others like Bloomberg, the Associated Press, and Reuters, whose reportage is also distributed and consumed around the world, have even gone so far as to insinuate that the Maha Kumbh is part of some sinister “Hindu Nationalist” agenda — no matter that the the legend of the Kumbh stretches back to the pre-historic era and is supported by centuries-old records. Not to be left behind – the New York Times, which seems unable to write a single neutral article on Hinduism, dutifully parroted the risk of Indian politics and Hindu nationalism. And making sure they were not outdone by their anglo colleagues France’s La Croix, a Catholic news daily, regurgitated the same talking points. For good measure, it also described the mela as “large camps of Hindu congregations, whose garish entrances resemble a carnival with a Hinduism theme. It is in this mystical and kitschy setting…”
The Maha Kumbh Mela is a vibrant expression of devotion and reverence, guided by intricate cosmic calculations that align humanity with the rhythms of the universe. Rooted in the Dharmic ethos of environmental respect and sustainability, the Kumbh transcends ordinary human distinctions and allows for the joyous union of individuals who come together in a spirit of shared spirituality.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media’s gaze at the Maha Kumbh has been unserious and ill-informed at best, and malicious and Hinduphobic at worst. However, this does not mean that an outsider cannot approach the Kumbh with respect and curiosity.
Take, for example, this vivid description of the Kumbh by Mark Twain. The American author and humorist attended the mela in 1894, and recounted his experiences in his book, “Following the Equator — A Journey Around the World”.
“Then we struck into the hot plain, and found the roads crowded with pilgrims of both sexes, for one of the great religious fairs of India was being held… at the junction of the sacred rivers, the Ganges and the Jumna. Three sacred rivers, I should have said, for there is a subterranean one. Nobody has seen it, but that doesn’t signify. The fact that it is there is enough. These pilgrims had come from all over India; some of them had been months on the way, plodding patiently along in the heat and dust, worn, poor, hungry, but supported and sustained by an unwavering faith and belief; they were supremely happy and content, now; their full and sufficient reward was at hand; they were going to be cleansed from every vestige of sin… by these holy waters which make utterly pure whatsoever thing they touch… It is wonderful, the power of a faith like that, that can make multitudes upon multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without repining. It is done in love, or it is done in fear; I do not know… No matter what the impulse is, the act born of it is beyond imagination marvelous to our kind of people, the cold whites. [Few among us] could exhibit the equivalent of this prodigious self-sacrifice, but the rest of us know that we should not be equal to anything approaching it. Still, we all talk self-sacrifice, and this makes me hope that we are large enough to honor it in the Hindoo.”
As Sandeep Balakrishna notes in his magnificent Open magazine cover on the Maha Kumbh as a pilgrimage across time: “A total outsider to Hindu culture, Twain has accurately captured the essence of the Tirtha Yatra using his own cultural reference point.”
Indeed, this is a beautiful example of how even those unfamiliar with Hindu culture can capture its essence, even in an era when Hindus were reeling from the worst excesses of centuries of colonial rule and at a time when racism was the foundation of institutional frameworks.
Will modern day scribes learn a thing or two from Twain on how to faithfully and sincerely report on events that may not be part of their personal belief system? We are not holding our breath.
In the meantime, Hindus will continue to celebrate the Maha Kumbh Mela for what it truly is: an extraordinary manifestation of the connection between the human and the divine. And to celebrate our faith with the full pomp, splendour and joy available to us.