The Kumbh Currency: What drives the Mela economy

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Beneath the kaleidoscopic chaos of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh lies an economic juggernaut, powered by the faith of an estimated 40 crore people who are expected to descend on the banks of the Ganga in Prayagraj starting January 13. In his seventh-century writings, Chinese traveller Xuanzang documented this convergence of faith and commerce at the Kumbh Mela, where rulers and wealthy merchants are said to have bathed in the sacred waters and offered lavish donations. That spirit of enterprise has lived on in the modern version of the 40-day event, attracting businesses from across India and transforming...