The Hindu festival of Holi is still a month away but the liberal cabal couldn’t wait to sling their annual mud, swapping Holi’s ‘regressive’ colours with the sea of devotees at Mahakumbh. As the ‘secular’ politicians of India mock the mass Hindu gathering, Delhi University professor Savita Jha in her Indian Express op-ed lamented how crores of Hindus taking a holy dip at the once-in-a-century festival is altering the “pluralistic character” of Hinduism.
In her sanctimonious screed titled: Rush at Maha Kumbh shows how Hinduism is losing its pluralistic character, Savita Jha laments that Mahakumbh is somehow forcing her to contemplate “if Hinduism is moving toward a more codified, performative and mandatory form.”
Is Hinduism becoming performative, mandatory and codified because crores of Hindus attended Mahakumbh?
From the very onset, Savita Jha makes it evident that this piece is going to be yet another ‘liberal’ attempt at gaslighting Hindus for displaying their faith unapologetically. While the JNU professor argues that since crores of Hindus are partaking in the Mahakumbh festival, Hinduism is becoming performative, mandatory and codified, however, what she affectionately called “my religion” has always been performative.
Hindu dharma has elements of and is characterised by the performance of a social or cultural role. From festivals to rituals and traditions, Hinduism is about “performing” the faith and the outward projection of faith in forms of religious symbols, dance, bhakti songs, colourful festivals etc. There is no “change” there.
As far as mandatory is concerned – Kumbh never was and still is not “Mandatory”. The Hindus taking holy dip at Prayagraj are doing so out of their own bhakti and faith. No Hindu religious leader has said that Hindus must visit the Kumbh Mela.
Unlike Islamists, who despite having numerous legal and illegal mosques take delight in performing namaz on streets, railway stations and even flights to assert their dominance and supposed religious ‘supremacy’, the Hindu devotees in Mahakumbh are not there for a show of power or assert their dominance, but simply to practice their faith. There is special spiritual zeal among Hindus during Kumbh Mela given it occurs over a gap of many years, and Mahakumbh which is said to be occurring after around 144 years makes it even more special and almost unmissable for many Hindus.
Dr Savita Jha argues that somehow the outward projection makes Hinduism ‘Abrahamic’. This is a sleight of hand. In Islam, there is no deity and no celebratory rituals per se. It is supposed to be about Namaz, which again is supposed to be done in Muslim houses of worship. It is Hinduism that celebrates community celebration, outward projection in terms of religious symbols and traditions and communal festivals.
This is not being Hindu, perhaps! https://t.co/kGB7OaIUrx@IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/Br0TsKZyRz
— Savita Jha (@savitajha_jnu) February 20, 2025
While Hindus have undeniably become more aware and unapologetic about their faith and traditions over time, it is but a juvenile argument that somehow “heightened devotion” among Hindus hints at a departure from the “organic, regionally diverse expressions of Hinduism.”
The very fact that Prayagraj is attracting an influx of Hindus from every nook and corner of the country. From north to south, Hindus ‘rushing’ to take a holy dip at the divine confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers beautifully reflects Hinduism’s living unity in diversity, not a decline of Hinduism’s pluralistic character. In Hinduism, pluralism is not about staying divided into sects and groups but about having own belief systems, aaradhya devas and traditions aligned with the core beliefs and principles of Hinduism and yet staying united under the umbrella of Sanatan Dharma.
It is also outrageous that Jha finds “heightened devotion” as unfortunate. Hindu dharma is not a tepid, armchair hobby, even sitting in one place and doing “naam jap” (chanting of holy name) requires effort and devotion. Hinduism has always had room for loud and spiritually profound Naga sadhus, grihast (householders) and even the quiet meditators who all come together at Kumbh showcasing how so diverse and yet similar they are in their devotion. Calling this “unfortunate” is just elitist whining and losing their minds over the fact that Hindus would not dim their devotion and joy to embrace some sanitized or ‘secularised’, low-energy ideal. Hindus are not up for this Faustian bargain.
Jha writes that “A standardised version of faith is being promoted, narrowing the vast landscape of Hindu thought into one-size-fits-all religiosity This loss of balance — between deep, contemplative faith and mass fervour — poses a significant challenge to Hinduism’s foundational essence.”
Basically, the author wants Hindus to shut up and sit at home. Outward celebration and projection of faith even by the young, urban class challenges the shame they tried to make Hindus feel for decades. The mere expression of faith by Hindus is by default associated with majoritarianism, deterrence of ‘secularism’, ‘Hindu nationalism’, if it is devoid of ‘secular’ “Ramzan mein Ram, Diwali mein Ali” flavour.
Be it after the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, or over Centre rightly excluding Muslims from CAA, or for simply not becoming outrightly divorced from their faith, left-liberals have long been inducing the “survivor’s guilt” in Hindus and gaslighting the majority community which from the medical era of Islamic invasions to British era and in the ‘independent’ India has been victimised by different oppressors with one intent of destroying Hindu faith.
Contrary to Savita Jha’s assertion that crores of Hindus celebrating Mahakumbh is somehow indicating a deflection from Hinduism’s pluralistic character towards any Abrahamic religion-like centralisation, doctrinal rigidity or emphasis on obligatory practices, Mahakumbh is a melting pot of diverse Hindu groups.
The grand Hindu festival is uniting ascetics (sadhus), householders (grihast) and sects (sampradaya)—Vaishnavas, Shaivas, and Shaktas—in a voluntary, vibrant expression of faith.
Savita Jha asserts that Kumbh Mela has traditionally not been the ultimate destination pilgrimage and a personal spiritual journey for elderly Hindus. This assertion, however, is far from true. Kumbh Mela, Chaar Dhaam Yatra, and Rameshwaram (in Tamil Nadu), among others have in fact been some of the ultimate pilgrimage destinations for Hindus regardless of age though the elderly traditionally considered it more important to visit Kumbh.
Jha is upset that earlier, mostly old dying people visited Kumbh. Now young Hindus are doing so too – the problem here is about how the younger generation, which the Left tried to detach from faith and deracinate completely – are also finding solace in spirituality and wearing their faith on their sleeve with pride.
The JNU professor further compared Kumbh Mela to the Jain practice of Sallekhana to suggest that although the latter was a journey of voluntary renunciation of life, Kumbh is chaotic, reckless and devoid of dignity.
“Traditionally, the Kumbh Mela has never been the ultimate destination for pilgrimage. It was a deeply spiritual journey, especially for the elderly. Many aged individuals, aware that their bodies were nearing the end of life, would undertake the yatra with a sense of detachment, much like the Jain practice of sallekhana — a voluntary, peaceful renunciation of life. They went with the understanding that they might not return, embracing death as a natural transition rather than a tragedy, accident, fear or shock. This practice was not chaotic or reckless; it was done with dignity and acceptance, with younger companions from the village or neighbourhood guiding them. The losses, if any, were minimal because the journey was taken with restraint, preparation, and spiritual resolve, not as an impulsive, desperate act,” Jha writes.
Jha goes on to assert that while the number of Hindus participating in Kumbh Mela has increased dramatically, there lack of profound depth of contemplation. Firstly, Kumbh Mela has always been a massive gathering comprising people of all age groups, genders, and sects with better interconnectivity and travel means, it has become easier for people to participate in Kumbh Mela. Secondly, Savita Jha or anyone for that matter, cannot judge or evaluate the depth of contemplation of Hindus partaking in Mahakumbh. Can she question the depth of contemplation of Muslims in doing Haj pilgrimage or any other religious community’s rationale behind undertaking their pilgrimage?
Contrary to Jha’s assertion that the rush lacks spiritual preparation, replacing contemplation with mere performance is baseless. Kumbh pilgrimage is not devoid of contemplation, rather there is an abundance of it. The kalpvaasis observe fasts, sadhus meditate by the Sangam, all while co-existing with the crowd of devotees.
What Savita Jha fails to comprehend about the zeal and devotion of Hindus in partaking in Kumbh Mela, has been well-explained by Mark Twain in his book “Following The Equator”. Describing his experience at Kumbh of 1895, Twain wrote, “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.”
There is no rigidity, no coercion and definitely no push towards a central mandate but it is unfathomable for the likes of Savita Jha that Hindus instead of practising their faith somewhat clandestinely in line with the ‘liberal’ expectation, are displaying their faith. Hindus are attending Kumbh Mela due to their personal devotion and not any obligation. No Hindu who for some reason does not visit Prayagraj during Mahakumbh will be looked down upon as a lesser Hindu or ostracised from the community.
Savita Jha’s assertion that Hinduism is heading towards becoming “codified” is flawed. Hinduism is codified – just that the method of codification is not one book – but many scriptures, including the Rig Veda which prescribes ways of worship. Plus, Hinduism is “codified” not merely by texts but also by performative traditions. Vedas, Upanishads, Shruti, Smriti, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharat and Bhagvadgita are all significant in Hinduism yet no specific text governs Hindu life. While the Gita emphasises Karma Yoga, the Upanishad delves into metaphysics and yet both reinforce the same worldview.
We are unified by not one scripture but shared principles of Dharma. While Vedas codify rituals through mantras and yajnas, their execution varies in North and South India. Hindu Dharma’s “code” is a resilient tapestry, woven from a thousand threads, not a single stitch.
#WATCH | #MahaKumbh2025 Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: "I have come from Hubballi, Karnataka. It is very crowded but I am happy to be here at the Triveni Sangam. We will never get to see this moment again. Our children or grandchildren will not get to see it. Only, we are fortunate… pic.twitter.com/QnfuztZ1tO
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2025
Jha also says “Even the Indian Constitution struggles to define “Hindus” with finality because Hinduism is not a monolithic religion but a vast and fluid tradition encompassing countless beliefs, practices, sects, and philosophies.”
No. Hinduism is not a disco party. There are rules, but Hinduism is indeed made up of many Sampradayas. Jha’s agony apparently, is that Left created schism is visibly disappearing.
The hypocrisy of those ever-ready to scrutinise Hindus and Hinduism is amusing. They would have their hearts melt if a Hindu keeps roza, or Hindus open their temples for Muslims to offer namaz but if a Hindu belonging to one sampradaya takes part in another’s practices, even if for argument’s sake, conceded that Kumbh is not a necessary ritual for all Hindus, it becomes a sign of pluralism being threatened.
Contrary to Savita Jha’s mendacious claim, Kumbh is actually the most plural form of worship that we can see. Hindus of all castes, creeds, financial strata and sampradayas come together. And this is precisely the chagrin of the IE article’s author— that Kumbh has seen a sea change in how Hindus come together to worship transcending societal lines, financial strata etc.
Beyond the farce of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, which has done more damage to Hinduism than benefit, Bharat’s culture, though diverse, is mainly derived from “performative” Hinduism.
Savita Jha has a problem with music during Kanwar Yatra
While Jha repeatedly expresses her unfounded apprehensions that somehow Hinduism is becoming Abrahamic in character, she finds music and dance during Kanwar Yatra problematic.
“This cost is on the rise in different strenuous practices such as the Kanwar Yatra. Self-penance was considered a purifying process; with the loud noise of DJs and bikes obstructing our inner voice, the Kanwar Yatra has become restricted to performance only,” Jha writes.
In Hindu dharma, Lord Shiva or Mahadev is the originator of all forms of artistic expression, including dance and music. How can any practising Hindu have an objection to Hindus celebrating their festivals by playing music or dancing?
The Kanwar Yatris are devotees of Mahadev who travel long distances on bikes to offer Kanwar or jal to Mahadev. They follow the sattvic diet in the holy month of Saawan and have utmost devotion to Lord Shiva. DJ music or bikes don’t diminish their faith and resolve. Hinduism has always celebrated with dance and Music – we are not Islam. Music is not ‘haraam’ for Hindus and the Kanwar Yatris must abstain from playing devotional music or overtly displaying their faith. The yatra itself is a spiritual “performance”, Kanwariyas don’t have to just sit and imagine that they undertook the yatra.
What Savita Jha calls a Hindu shift towards Abrahamic character, an “outwardly visible form of faith — demonstrated through large processions, mass pilgrimages, and aggressive displays” is nothing like what Muslims or adherents of any Abrahamic faith do. In fact, mass pilgrimages, large processions and overt displays of faith have been an integral part of Hindu culture.
Interestingly, Savita Jha also mentions how it was villagers who used to attend such pilgrimages. Basically, her problem also is that now, the Urban youth – who were forced to feel ashamed of their faith, have found their faith against and are displaying their faith on their sleeve.
“Earlier, only a few people from the village would undertake the difficult pilgrimage to Kedarnath and Badrinath, while the rest would simply receive prasad and blessings. There was a natural sense of restraint and awareness of risks, ensuring that only the most prepared undertook such journeys,” Jha writes overlooking the financial restraints people earlier had.
God alone knows what makes Savita Jha think that the tradition of serving prasad to those who could not go on pilgrimage has ended. Many Hindus who visit Vaishno Devi temple or any other such temples often distribute prasad not only to their family members but also to their neighbours and colleagues. With improved accessibility and standard of living, why would Hindus not be willing to undertake “Sa-parivar” (with family) pilgrimages? People have accidents while going to their office also, should they stop working to stay safe? Under the garb of ‘rationality’ it seems like Jha wants to deter Hindus from undertaking pilgrimages.
Is heightened devotion to blame for the Kumbh stampede? Has Hindu devotion caused violence in Mahakumbh?
The Indian Express article further insinuates that the stampede in Prayagraj last month that resulted in 30 deaths was caused by the “heightened devotion” of Hindus. While Savita Jha makes no explicit mention of any politician or political statements, her article carries the undertone that somehow, Hindus have become dogmatically expressive Hindus in the last decade.
The tragic loss of lives at Mahakumbh on Mauni Amavasya was not the first time that a stampede occurred in Kumbh Mela. Such incidents happened in 1954 and 2013 as well when both, Uttar Pradesh and India were by supposedly ‘secular’ governments. Hindus have always attached immense significance to Kumbh Mela, stampedes may occur due to rumours, mismanagement or due to conspiracies, but never due to heightened devotion. Stampedes are not unique to Hinduism, a stampede occurred at Mecca as well in 2015, would Savita Jha or any liberal ‘intellectual’ blame the ‘heightened devotion’ of Muslims for the tragedy?
In her pursuit to gaslight Hindus for attending Mahakumbh, the founder of the Centre for Studies of Tradition and Systems(CSTS), resorted to peddling lies as she claimed that there was “mindless violence” in the ongoing Kumbh Mela. In reality, there has not been a single instance of any violence during Kumbh.
Social media and commercialisation of religion making Hinduism unilinear?
Furthermore, Jha asserts that singular narratives on social media and commercialisation have reduced the faith to somewhat formulaic acts, sidelining regional variations. This is outright ridiculous. Social media can never be a space where any singular narrative thrives. People from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Himachal and other states came to Prayagraj and took the holy dip while performing their rituals, there was no dress code, no specific rule that a south Indian cannot perform their rituals before, or during the ritual bathing. Social media is replete with posts, videos of sadhus sharing ascetic wisdom, and commoners describing how they performed their regional rites and unique experiences. There is no herd mentality at play here.
“The commercialisation of religion, from packaged pilgrimages to mass events, promotes specific rituals and experiences as the “ideal” and “only” way to connect with the divine, reducing faith to formulaic participation. Several water bodies once served as sites for the observance of kalpvaas (staying near the river in a certain time period) from Paus Purnima to Maghi Purnima. In Bihar, Simaria was known as mini-Kumbh. However, modern religious expressions are increasingly unilinear, emphasising mass participation over individual spiritual experience. A standardised version of faith is being promoted, narrowing the vast landscape of Hindu thought into one-size-fits-all religiosity,” Jha writes.
Nobody can help Jha if she thinks that packaged pilgrimages or mass events like Kumbh are the ‘commercialisation’ of religion. The government would obviously promote, the grand event the businesses would naturally want to make money when they know a large number of people are gathering at Prayagraj for spiritual reasons. It is not the commercialisation of religion but a demonstration of how religious events also offer people economic opportunities. The author ignores the fact that even in the era of kings, Kumbh events had imperial patronage.
Chhath pooja, Bengal’s famous Ganga Sagar Mela, Baneshwar Mela and Pushkar Mela in Rajasthan, among others, thrive alongside Kumbh, proving that diversity isn’t lost but scaled. Hinduism never was and can never be unilinear or centred around one-size-fits-all religiosity.
Jha concludes her sanctimonious rant with a question: Is Hinduism evolving or is it being reshaped into something it was never meant to be?”
The answer is: No! It is not. Hinduism is the oldest yet the most modern religion in the world. Reason: Though Sanatan (eternal, timeless), Hinduism has evolved over the ages and yet retains its pluralistic character. Shaming Kumbh’s grandeur, gaslighting Hindus for displaying their faith, suggesting that Hinduism is corrupted or reshaping into a rigid unilinear faith is an outright insult to Hindus and their faith but then liberals draw sadistic pleasure in insulting and gaslighting Hindus for their unapologetic Hinduness.
While crores of Hindus revel in their “heightened devotion” at Mahakumbh, armchair prophets like Savita Jha slobber over their keyboards, just Rakshasas used to prevent Rishis from performing Yajnas.
