DRAWN by the grandeur of the Mahakumbh they had seen on social media, a group of 68 Hindu devotees from Pakistan’ Sindh province arrived at the holy gathering on Thursday. For nearly 50 of them, this is their first experience of the Maha Kumbh. Speaking to PTI at the Shri Gurukrishna camp in Sector Nine, Gobind Ram Makhija, one of thevisitors from Sindh, shared, “For the past two to three months, eversince we heard about the Mahakumbh, we have been eager to comehere. We simply couldn’t resist.” He recalled that in April last year, a group of 250 people from Pakistan had visited Prayagraj to take a dip in the Ganga.

 

This time, thevisitorshailed from six districts of Sindh -- Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Karzakot, and Jatabal -- many of whom are experiencingtheMahakumbh for the first time. Expressing his joy, Makhija said, “This is an incredible experience. Ihave no words to describe it.Tomorrow, we will take a dip in the Ganga. Being here makes me feel proud to have been born into Sanatan Dharma.” Surbhi, an 11thgrade student from Ghotki, sharedthatthis isherfirsttime visiting India and attending the Kumbh.

 

“This is the first opportunity I’ve had to truly explore and understand my religion in depth. It feels amazing,” she said. Priyanka,another first-time visitorfromSindh,echoedsimilar sentiments. “I am a homemaker, and coming to India and witnessing this Maha Kumbh is the greatestblessingofmy life.We were born and raised in a Muslim-majority society. Contrary to what the media often portrays, there isn’t as much discrimination against HindusinSindh.However,seeing our culture in its full glory hereisadivineexperience,”she said. Niranjan Chawla, a constructionworkerfromSukkur, shared his thoughts on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).