Feature
Devotees take holy dip on Makar Sankranti as Kumbh Mela opens
Thousands of devotees took a holy dip here at the Sangam — the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati rivers — on Tuesday morning, on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti and marking the onset of the Kumbh Mela.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged devotees to participate in the Kumbh Mela, which is organised at a much wider scale this year than its previous editions, to witness India’s spiritual, cultural and social diversities.
Elaborate security arrangements were in place and pontoon bridges have been constructed to lead the visitors to the 5-km bathing ghat at Sangam.
Security personnel have been deployed at all entry and exit points of these bridges to maintain law and order.
Soon after midnight, throngs of devotees who have gathered here for the fair from within the country and abroad, began proceeding towards the bathing ghats. Loud religious chantings as well as melodious singing of ‘bhajans’ reverberated through the by-lanes of the city for most of the night.
In an absolute electrifying setting, visitors reached the ghats that were lit up like Diwali in a hue of multiple colours, amid heightened security and waited for the “Shahi Snan” (royal bath) to begin.
The moment arrived just before dawn when, with prayers in their breath, the visitors took the holy dip in the water as cold as ice.
About 13 ‘akharas’ will be participating in the “Shahi Snan” on Tuesday with each being allocated about 45 minutes by the Kumbh authorities. The ceremonial bath is drawing huge crowds as devotees continue to arrive here in large numbers.
Prime Minister Modi posted a video on Twitter shortly after the “Shahi Snan” ceremony began, marking the official beginning of the fair.
The “Shahi Snan” is considered among the most significant components of the Kumbh Mela, and is supposed to begin at a certain hour.
The Kumbh Mela is held every six years, while the Maha Kumbh takes place every 12 years.
According to officials, about 15 crore devotees are expected to partake in the pilgrimage, which, according to legends, opens the doors to heaven.
Over 40,000 LED lights have been used by the administration to light up the bathing ghats as well as illuminate the historic city.
The Kumbh Mela will reach its culmination on March 4, which alo marks the Maha Shivratri, the last of the six dates for “Shahi Snan”.
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.
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