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Indian bathing festival boosts economy |
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February 11, 2001
ALLAHABAD-- (AP) - A Hindu bathing festival that is the world's largest religious gathering has pumped more than 20 billion rupees (dlrs 429 million) into the north Indian city of Allahabad, the festival administrator said Saturday. The Kumbh Mela festival, which began Jan. 9 and ends Feb. 21, is held every 12 years. Devotees believe bathing in the Ganges River will wash away their sins and free them from the cycle of birth and rebirth. More than 100 million people have taken baths in the Ganges in the past 32 days. The number is expected to swell to 120 million by the end of the 40-day festival, which is centered in Allahabad, a city of 1.5 million. "It is a major financial boost to the economy," said Jivesh Nandan, the festival administrator. "No wonder the local people eagerly await the occasion." Thousands of foreigners have also converged on the city, spending money on airline and train tickets, as well as on taxis, buses, hotels and telephone calls. Restaurants have charged two to three times their normal prices. The state government spent rupees 1.42 billion (dlrs 30.2 million) on the festival, Nandan said. Faced with opposition from holy men and religious groups, authorities declined offers from Pepsi and Coca Cola and other multinational companies, as well as many Indian firms, to help sponsor the festival. |