French woman's fascination with Hinduism brings her to Kumbh Mela

NEW DELHI: A 65-year-old French woman named Pascal is attending the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

Pascal, a devotee of Lord Shiva, traveled from France to participate in the large religious gathering.

“I have a great attachment to the Hindu religion and Lord Shiva. I have no reason to express my attachment to Hinduism. This feeling comes from my heart,” said Pascal.

Pascal’s interest in Hinduism began in 1984 during her first visit to India. She has studied the Bhagavad Gita and Puranas. She is familiar with the story of the Kumbh Mela’s origin, including the Samudra Manthan and the drop of Amrit.

“I know everything about Kumbh Mela and I also have complete information about Samudra Manthan. I also have complete information about the drop of Amrit,” she stated.

At the Kumbh Mela, Pascal said she enjoys meeting other attendees. “I like meeting Sadhu Sanyasis and Hindus here,” she said. She wears a Rudraksha necklace given to her by a friend. “I am wearing a Rudraksha necklace around my neck which was given to me by my friend. Wearing it feels like it protects me,” she explained.

Pascal praised the event's organization and the provisions made for attendees.

“Mahakumbh is amazing. Crores of people are coming here and I feel very safe here. Staying here is free, eating is free, drinking is free and sleeping is also free. All the arrangements are very good,” she commented.

The Maha Kumbh takes place from January 13 to February 26. Local authorities are implementing safety measures for crowd management and fire prevention.

DIG Mahakumbh Vaibhav Krishna and SSP Kumbh Rajesh Dwivedi inspected the area on Tuesday.

“Police are conducting their drills and rehearsals on the placement of force at different points in the Kumbh area. The emphasis of the police is to ensure that devotees face no problems,” DIG Krishna said.