•    Till now pilgrims from USA, Britain & France have visited the Kumbh
•    Foreign pilgrims engrossed in Indian culture
In the ongoing Maha Kumbh at Tirthraj Prayag, Allahabad, everyone is eager to have a holy dip in the confluence of Ganga & Yamuna and Saraswati; no matter if he is from the different districts and states of India or abroad.
Thousands of foreign pilgrims have already started to reach Allahabad for the bath of Mauni  Amavasya which will take place on the 10th of February, 2013. These foreigners are seeking shelter in the residents of the Dharmacharyas, monks and their Gurus. Most of the foreign devotees are arriving in the ashram of Peethadheeshwar Swami Chidananda Saraswati of Parmartha Niketan, Rishikesh.  People from Ashram said that so far, more than five hundred foreign devotees have reached their ashram and many more are anticipated to arrive.
Most of the foreign devotees reaching the Mahakumbha are from the USA, France, UK, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Hundreds of foreign pilgrims have arrived in the camps of Juna Akhara, Niranjani Akhara, Mahanirvani Akhara and Yogi Satyam. Pilgrims from abroad reaching the Mahakumbh are embracing Indian culture and gastronomy entirely. Foreign devotees start their day with morning yoga and after that, they meditate and pray. Foreign devotees can be seen eating pulses, rice, vegetables, roti and salad in the dining hall of the ashram of Swami Chidanand Saraswati. The foreign devotees residing in the ashram are been taught to dress decently and to behave courteously.
Ashram devotees clean the vicinity of the Sangam area before they proceed for the holy dip. Swami Chidananda Saraswati told that the foreign devotees residing in his ashram regularly take part in the campaign to clean the river. He proclaimed that the purity of Ganga should remain intact. Uttar Pradesh government has made good arrangements for the Mahakumbha. They are fully satisfied with the arrangements made by the government and administration. He expected the administration to retain all the arrangements till the end of the fair. Swami Chidananda says that so far everything is going on well and we hope that by God’s grace it will continue. He wished all the success for the bath of Mauni Amavasya to the Uttar Pradesh government and all the officials related to the Mela.

सुरेन्द्र अग्निहोत्री
agnihotri1966@gmail.com
sa@upnewslive.com