Page 62 - Mann Ki Baat - English, February,2023

Kanchan Banerjee
Author and MD, Boston Center of Excellence for Health and
Human Development

Tribeni Kumbho Mohotsav : A Symbol of

Cultural Heritage and Spirituality

Recently we had a great area during the Paush Sankranti
Kumbh Mahotsav in Triveni, in the and the Maghi Sankranti. Paush
Hooghly district of West Bengal. Sankranti, which is celebrated
Many people are interested grandly in the Ganga Sagar
behind the history of this mela, Mela near the Bay of Bengal, and
ever since the Prime Minister the Maghi Sankranti, which is
mentioned it in his ‘Mann ki now called the Kumbh mela was
Baat’. During the research of my a big event in the Triveni region.
recently published book ‘The We also found that around
Crash of a Civilization’, I found the year 1298, there was an
that much of our history has invasion in that area by the Turkic
been distorted by the colonials forces and they tried to take
and other invaders. And when I over the prosperous Saptagram,
came to Bengal, it was difficult to which was a business and
find information about the place educational hub and a city of
from the early 1300s to 1500s. I temples. Local kings fought
found that 200 years of history them off bravely but when they
is nearly missing! Digging further returned around 1313-1315 the
into the research, I came to Turkic forces took over the region
know that Triveni, Bansberia and and destroyed the temples. And
Saptagram have a tremendous this mela never happened again
history. for nearly 700 years. So, last year
The Triveni Sangam of in 2022, we started this Kumbh
Ganga, Saraswati and Yamuna Snan Mela Mahotsav in Triveni,
was also called Dakshin Prayag. which received a tremendous
While searching for the reason response. The mela was
behind this name, we found that organised extravagantly and
there used to be big melas in that the three-day event witnessed

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