Drawn by the spiritual grandeur of the Maha Kumbh, a group of 68 Hindu devotees from Pakistan's Sindh province arrived in Prayagraj on Thursday and took a holy dip at the Sangam, praying for the peace of their ancestors' souls.
According to the UP Information Department, the devotees performed rituals at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, offering prayers for their forefathers.
Mahant Ramnath, who accompanied the group, said they had first visited Haridwar, where they immersed the ashes of nearly 480 ancestors and performed rituals before coming to the Maha Kumbh.
Speaking at the Shri Guru Karshni camp in Sector 9, Sindh resident Gobind Ram Makheja told PTI, "Ever since we heard about the Maha Kumbh in the last two or three months, we had a deep longing to visit. We simply couldn't stop ourselves from coming."
He added, "Last April, 250 people from Pakistan visited Prayagraj and took a dip in the Ganga. This time, 68 people from six districts of Sindh -- "Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Karkot, and Jatabal -- "have come, including nearly 50 first-time visitors." Describing his experience, Makheja said, "It is a joyous, overwhelming feeling. I have no words to express it. Tomorrow, we will take another holy dip. Being here makes us proud of our Sanatan Dharma heritage." Surbhi, an 11th-grade student from Ghotki, said it was her first time in India and at the Maha Kumbh.
"For the first time, I am getting to deeply understand and witness my religion. It feels wonderful," she shared.
Priyanka, a homemaker from Sindh, echoed similar sentiments. She said, "This is my first time in India and at the Maha Kumbh. Seeing our culture here is a divine experience. We were born and raised among Muslims in Sindh. Contrary to media portrayals, there isn't much discrimination against Hindus there. But witnessing our heritage in India is an unparalleled experience." On the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Niranjan Chawla from Sukkur said, "In Sindh, the situation isn't such that people would apply for Indian citizenship. However, in certain areas like Rajasthan (on Pakistan's side), Hindus do face some difficulties." Chawla, who works in the construction sector, urged the Indian government to simplify the visa process.
"Right now, it takes nearly six months to get visa clearance. However, this time, our group was granted visas with relative ease, and we are grateful to the Indian government for that," he said.
He added, "We arrived at the Maha Kumbh camp last night and will head to Raipur on February 8 before traveling to Haridwar. Some members of our group have brought six urns with ashes, which they will immerse in Haridwar." Looking ahead, Chawla said, "This evening, we will visit saints from the Akharas and explore the grand fair."
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