PM Modi mentions Bengal's 'Tribeni Kumbh' in Mann Ki Baat | Know what it is

The revival of 'Tribeni Kumbho Mohotshav' in Bansberia, West Bengal found a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio show Mann Ki Baat in its 98th episode on Sunday. A portion of his 32-minute Mann Ki Baat address was dedicated to Bansberi's "Tribeni Kumbho Mohotshav".

Celebrated on the banks of the Ganga, the age-old festival dates back thousands of years but was stopped 700 years ago to be revived just two years ago. Tribeni in West Bengal has been known as a holy place for centuries. It finds mention in various Mangalakava, Vaishnava literature, Shakta literature and other Bengali literary works.

"More than eight thousand devotees participated in it... But do you know why it is so special? It is special because this practice has been revived after 700 years. Although this tradition is thousands of years old, unfortunately this festival, which was held in of Bengal's Tribeni, was stopped 700 years ago. It was supposed to be started after independence, but it could not happen. Two years ago, the festival was restarted by the locals through 'Tribeni Kumbho Porichalona Shomiti'," PM Modi said.

He added that his attention was drawn to this cultural heritage in West Bengal by Shriman Kanchan Banerjee, who lives in the US. PM Modi congratulated all individuals associated with keeping this tradition alive and protecting India's cultural heritage.

"Various historical documents indicate that this region was once a center of Sanskrit, learning and Indian culture. Many saints consider it a holy place for Kumbh Snan on Magh Sankranti. Tribeni has many Ganga Ghats, Shiva temples and ancient ornate buildings with terracotta architecture. Last year, the Kumbh Mela was organized here to restore the Tribeni cultural heritage and revive the glory of the Kumbh tradition.” Seven centuries later, the three-day Kumbh Mahasnan and fair have infused the region with new energy, he said.

Numerous people participated in the Ganga Aarti, Rudrabhishek and Yajna held every day for three days. Various ashrams, mutts and akhadas were also included in the festival this time. Various genres related to Bengali traditions such as Kirtan, Baul, Godiyo Nritto, Sree-Khol, Poter Gaan and Chou-Nach became the centers of attraction of the festival.

"It is a very commendable effort to connect our youth with the golden past of the country. There are many other such practices in India which need to be revived. I hope the discussion about them will definitely inspire people in this direction," PM Modi said he said further in his program 'Mann Ki Baat'.