The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is taking nearly 8,000 students from underprivileged backgrounds, mostly from Dalit and Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, starting Thursday. Organized by Vidya Bharti, the RSS’s education wing, the initiative aims to familiarize these children with Hindu traditions and prevent them from being “preyed upon” by religious conversion efforts.
Ramji Singh, an instructor at Seva Bharti schools in the Awadh region, explained the purpose of the program. “The objective of taking the students for ‘Kumbh darshan’ is to make them aware of India’s rich traditions and culture as well as the spiritual aspect of the Maha Kumbh. This will help when missionaries reach their localities and try to convert them, claiming they are not Hindus,” he told Indian Express.
The students, all over the age of 10, will visit key locations at the Kumbh Mela, including ashrams, akharas, and the Sangam Ghat, where the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers meet. A special camp has been set up in Sector 9 of the Mela area for their stay. Around 2,100 students from 14 districts in Uttar Pradesh’s Awadh region will participate in the visit from January 16 to 18, accompanied by their parents.
An RSS functionary noted that the participating children belong to Dalit communities, referred to by the organization as “vanchit samaj” (deprived classes). “We want these children to understand the richness of their cultural and spiritual roots,” the functionary said.
After this batch, a similar group from the Gorakhpur region will visit the Kumbh from January 24 to 26, followed by students from the Kashi and Kanpur regions. Plans are also being made to include children from Western Uttar Pradesh in future visits, according to Indian Express.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to ensure seamless arrangements for the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is expected to draw 8–10 crore devotees for the Mauni Amavasya bathing ritual on January 29. The Maha Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, began on January 13 and will conclude on February 26.
