Feature
See PICS of world’s biggest mythological feast Kumbh Mela 2019 starting in January
Allahabad: One of the largest religious gatherings in the world – the Kumbh Mela – will be this time spread over an area of 45 km from the earlier 20 km radius.
Pilgrims visiting the holy city will also get a glimpse of Akshay Vat, a Banyan Tree held sacred by Hindus, and Saraswati Koop, a well believed to be the source of the mythical Saraswati River.
Prayagraj Mayor Abhilasha Gupta Nandi told media persons, “The area of the Kumbh Mela has almost doubled this time. Earlier, the Kumbh Mela used to be spread over an area of of 15-20 km. Now, the mela is spread over an area of 45 km.
Elaborating on the importance of Akshay Vat, the mayor said, Akshay Vat is found only in four places across the country, and at these places the Kumbh is held. According to folklore, the tree, which is inside the Allahabad Fort (under Army control) has the power to fulfil wishes.
According to legend, sage Markandeya once asked Lord Narayan to give him a glimpse of divine power. Narayan flooded the entire world for a moment, during which only the Akshay Vat at Prayagraj could be seen above water level, she said.
Saraswati Koop is also located inside the Allahabad Fort. An idol of Goddess Saraswati is being installed,” she said. According to UP government officials, it is for the first time that devotees will be arriving in the city through land, air and water routes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to the city earlier this month, said devotees will be able to offer prayers at Akhsay Vat, which has been closed for years, during Ardha Kumbh.
Watch glimpse of prestigious religious gathering Kumbh Mela 2019 starting in January:
I am here to give you good news. This time, devotees will be able to visit Akshay Vat in Ardha Kumbh, the prime minister had said. For the first time, an Integrated Control Command and Centre has been established in the Kumbh area.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had recently said that it is the endeavour of the government that the Kumbh turns out to be darshaniye (worth seeing), adbhut (amazing), divya (divine) and bhavya (grand).
Kumbh will prove to be a confluence of our age-old traditions and culture with modernity and technology. It will be a New India and New Kumbh, Adityanath had said.
After former President Rajendra Prasad, it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who visited Akshay Vat and Saraswati Koop. Ambassadors from nearly 70 countries had also visited Prayagraj to get a glimpse of the preparations for the mega event, Adityanath had said.
Yesterday, while addressing the Yuva Kumbh held in Lucknow, Adityanath had said, “Kumbh is a symbol of India’s unity and integrity, and its spirit is that youth power should be used for nation building. The state government will make efforts to provide all possible facilities to pilgrims at the Kumbh. The state government will also establish grand statues of Bharadwaj muni and Goddess Saraswati in Prayagraj.
The Mela draws lakhs of pilgrims over the course of approximately 55 auspicious days to bathe at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. Kumbh Mela is celebrated four times over a course of 12 years.
The geographical location of Kumbh Mela covers four locations in India with the mela site rotating from Haridwar (Uttarakhand) on the Ganga, Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) on Shipra, Nashik (Maharashtra) on Godavari to Prayagraj at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati.
The 2019 Kumbh Mela will commence on January 15 on Makar Sankranti which will be the first bathing day. Mahashivratri on March 4 will mark the last bathing day.
Entertainment
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.