PRAYAGRAJ: The craze for reels has not just changed the social media game but has also transformed the way devotees take a holy dip at Sangam. As chants of “Jai Shri Ram”, “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Ganga Maiyya” reverberated through the air on the first major snan of Paush Purnima Monday, a troupe of reel makers and YouTubers were busy capturing every moment of the Maha Kumbh.
Amidst some women from Petlad, Gujarat, singing the “Ambe Maa” aarti, a team of YouTubers from Jhansi was busy capturing shots on their smartphones and uploading them on their channels.
“This is not just Maha Kumbh of faith and spirituality, but also Maha Kumbh of technology. Social media has changed since Covid-19 with a surge in video format of live-streaming, YouTube shorts and reels. This Maha Kumbh, occurring after 144 years, is a golden opportunity for us to shore up our followers,” said Mohit Chauhan, a 22-year-old Instagrammer from Delhi.
Users started sharing posts with “#EktaKaMahaKumbh” on X and Instagram in the morning. By afternoon, the hashtag had topped trending charts, showcasing widespread participation and collective spirit of unity symbolised by this historic gathering. Thousands of users shared photos, videos, and information related to the event, sparking widespread engagement. Several hashtags on Maha Kumbh were used in the posts but “#EktaKaMahaKumbh” stood out as the most prominent.
With Kumbh catching the fancy of the world, there were teams of YouTubers from Japan, South America & South Africa who ensured not a single shot missed their cameras.
Billed as “digital Maha Kumbh“, the first major snan saw emotional devotees and tourists sharing their experiences by posting videos and photos on their social media accounts and offering live darshan of Triveni Sangam and Lete Hanumanji to their parents & relatives via video calls.
At the banks of Sangam, crowds were seen capturing selfies with standees of PM Modi and UP CM Yogi. At Nandi Dwar, a considerable number of women and young people assembled to photograph themselves, showing their enthusiasm for Modi and Yogi.
Meanwhile, amid loud announcements to walk in lines, droves of the faithful were headed to different ghats since midnight on Sunday, not waiting for sunrise to provide some relief from the intense cold.Some elderly devotees were also seen performing the sacred ritual of “dandavat parikrama” by lying prostrate on the cold, sandy surface, placing a marker at their fingertips, rising and walking to that point. This methodical process continued as they made their way towards the ghat, with each devotee repeating these precise movements throughout their spiritual journey.
