Over 60 devotees from Pakistan's Sindh take part in Maha Kumbh

Mahakumbh Nagar: Drawn by the grandeur of the Maha Kumbh 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 the visitors from Sindh, shared, "For the past two to three months, ever since we heard about the Maha Kumbh, we have been eager to come here.

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, the visitors hailed from six districts of Sindh -- Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Karzakot, and Jatabal -- many of whom are experiencing the Maha Kumbh for the first time.

Expressing his joy, Makhija said, "This is an incredible experience. I have 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 11th-grade student from Ghotki, shared that this is her first time 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 visitor from Sindh, echoed similar sentiments.

"I am a homemaker, and coming to India and witnessing this Maha Kumbh is the greatest blessing of my 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 Hindus in Sindh.

However, seeing our culture in its full glory here is a divine experience," she said.

Niranjan Chawla, a construction worker from Sukkur, shared his thoughts on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

"The situation in Sindh is such that people do not feel the need to apply for Indian citizenship. However, in some areas like Rajasthan (in Pakistan), Hindus do face challenges," he explained.

Chawla urged the Indian government to simplify the visa process. "It currently takes six months to get a visa approved.

However, we appreciate that our group was granted visas smoothly this time, and we thank the Indian government for that," he said.

Detailing their travel plans, Chawla mentioned, "We arrived at this Maha Kumbh camp last night. On February 8, we will leave for Raipur, followed by a visit to Haridwar.

Several members of our group have brought six urns containing ashes of deceased loved ones, which they will immerse in Haridwar."

Chawla added that later in the evening, the group would visit the Akharas to seek blessings from the saints and explore the fair.

The Maha Kumbh, which started on January 13, will continue until February 26.

There are still two more special bathing dates: February 12 (Maghi Purnima) and February 26 (Mahashivratri).

By 12 PM on Thursday, over 57 lakh pilgrims had taken a dip at the Maha Kumbh Mela. So far, nearly 39 crore people from across the globe have had the holy bath here, according to the Uttar Pradesh government, which is hosting the mega fair.