The Maha Kumbh Mela is the largest religious and cultural congregation for Hindus. It will be held in Prayagraj in 2025. The event is scheduled to begin on January 13, 2025, and continue till February 25, 2025. This will cover 45 days of rituals, pilgrimages, and celebrations. The Yogi-led Uttar Pradesh government is gearing up efforts for the event so that preparations are made on a grand scale. Meanwhile, devotees are preparing for their journey to this holy congregation. The buzz around the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is gaining momentum as the date draws near.
Who Are the Pandas? The Role of Pandas in the Maha Kumbh Mela
An integral part of the Kumbh Mela tradition has been the role played by the pandas. Over the last few hundred years, pandas have had the significant position of welcoming pilgrims as a mark of their importance in keeping alive the spiritual and cultural fabric of the event. The pandas are also known as Tirtharaj and Prayagwal; they act as guides and facilitators to the devotees that visit the holy city of Prayagraj.
The priests of Prayagraj are generally known as Prayagwal or Gangaputra, which means “sons of Ganga.” As these priests play a very important role in the spiritual journey of pilgrims, they were once known as Tirtha Guru, as they were responsible for religious rites. They got the name Prayagwal as they were associated in groups and had a long history of conducting pilgrimages and rituals.
Significance of the Pandas’ Lineage
The priests of Prayagraj are considered high-class Brahmins and consist of the Saryupari and Kanyakubj subgroups. Among their notable activities is keeping the genealogy of families. These records date back to a period of about 500 years, and they, thus, hold the ancient lineage of numerous families that have come to visit Prayagraj for religious purposes throughout the ages. This tradition has been carried out from generation to generation, ensuring that the names of pilgrims were written down in the priests’ ledgers.
The priests, as the years went by, divided up their work and started handling individual areas, which continues today. This very precise attitude has kept the heritage of family lineages well kept and documented.
Modern Technology Meets Tradition
To cope with the changing times, the priests are now converting their data management to a modern approach. The genealogical records that were written once are being digitized, and every page is being scanned into a digital database, hence creating a system where information is accessed easily.
With this technical change, the priests could provide the information as easily as possible. If the pilgrimage requests their family documents, based on name, place, district, and caste data, the priests now would be able to take some minutes to fetch those. Second, the priests were in a position to offer information regarding the family tree through their clients’ WhatsApp messages or mails, so that everyone’s record of information can be taken accessively from anywhere.
