The Mahakumbh Mela of 2025 in Prayagraj has witnessed an unprecedented gathering, with over 565 million devotees participating in the sacred event. Mahakumbh which is being held after 144 years is considered the world’s largest religious congregation, where Hindus from across the globe gather to take a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam—the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
Despite setting new records every day and being hailed by the international community, certain sections of people are leaving no stone unturned to demean this festival of Hindus as some self-proclaimed health experts and liberals are questioning the purity of Ganga water since crores of people have taken holy dip at Triveni Sangam.
A major revelation has surfaced regarding the presence of fecal coliform bacteria in the Ganga during Mahakumbh. While the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has reported high coliform levels, Padma Shri awardee scientist Dr Ajay Sonkar has refuted these claims, emphasising the unique self-purifying properties of the river.
Dr Sonkar conducted extensive research in his laboratory, concluding that the presence of bacteriophages—viruses that target and eliminate harmful bacteria—ensures that Ganga water remains pure. According to him, fecal coliform bacteria become inactive when water temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius. Throughout the Mahakumbh, the Ganga’s water temperature ranged between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, making bacterial survival and multiplication impossible. To prove his findings, Dr Sonkar even drank the water in front of thousands of devotees, reinforcing the belief that the Ganga retains its purity despite mass gatherings.
Despite scientific findings, a section of health activists and environmentalists continue to raise concerns over water quality, primarily focusing on the coliform levels in the Ganga. However, critics have pointed out a glaring inconsistency—why do these activists only seem concerned about water quality during Hindu festivals like Kumbh Mela?
There is little to no discourse about hygiene in other religious spaces, including mosques where large congregations perform ablutions in enclosed water sources. If coliform bacteria in a freely flowing river like the Ganga are a major issue, why is there no concern over the cleanliness of stagnant water used in mosques? This perceived double standard has led to questions about whether the concerns over Mahakumbh water purity are motivated by science or by an agenda aimed at discrediting Hindu traditions.
In a video shared on X, it is shown that the Islamists at the mosque are washing their faces withe samewater which was used by the other individual to clean his mouth and he had spit that water. In the video. it is also seen that another Islamist was cleaning his nose.
Not a single so called health experts or environmentalists are worried about their health.
Only bacteria in flowing river water, during #KumbhMela is the problem.
This is halal bacteria 🤢🤮 pic.twitter.com/ACHFAz0Nnf
— Tathvam-asi (@tathvamasi6) February 23, 2025
Hitting back at those who were questioning the purity of the river Ganga water, a netizen took to X and asked those preaching about hygiene to give some similar tips to the Islamists.
Not a single so called health experts or environmentalists are worried about their health.
Only bacteria in flowing river water, during #KumbhMela is the problem.
This is halal bacteria 🤢🤮 pic.twitter.com/ACHFAz0Nnf
— Tathvam-asi (@tathvamasi6) February 23, 2025
What is alarming is that none of those health experts tell the Islamists that what their religious leaders said was not right as is evident from the details that are shared in the “Book of Water” where the Islamists are told that the Wudu can be performed from the well that has the body of the dogs and menstural rags.
Netizen by the name of Srinivasan Rajagop on X put the politicisns of the opposition parties in the dock asking them “Will Akilesh, Jaya Bachchan, Rahul Gandhi, Prashant Bhushan , Mamata Banerjee, Kharge call this practice of cleaning hands, leg and mouth by Muslims in common tank together dirty & condemn Mosque calling them ‘ Mrityu Mosque ‘.
Meanwhile, on February 19, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath strongly defended the safety of Ganga water, stating that the government has continuously monitored and maintained water quality during the festival. “All pipes and drains around Sangam have been sealed, and only purified water is being released into the river,” he assured. He further added that the CPCB’s report was being misrepresented to defame the Kumbh Mela.
Authorities have maintained that despite CPCB’s report indicating that coliform levels in the Ganga were 1,400 times more than the acceptable limit and in the Yamuna 660 times more, these concerns are exaggerated. The CPCB analysed water samples on five separate days in January and found that the coliform levels never met standard safety guidelines. However, CM Adityanath has refuted the claims and stated that reasons for increased fecal coliform could be attributed to factors such as sewage leakage and animal waste but insisted that the amount of fecal coliform in Prayagraj is within standards.
Religious leaders have also voiced their discontent over what they call an orchestrated campaign to malign the sacred event. “For centuries, sages and sants have bathed in the Ganga, and it has healed countless individuals. The narrative of contamination during Kumbh Mela is an attack on our traditions,” said Swami Avdheshanand Giri, a prominent religious leader at the festival.
