New Delhi: Google is putting some more fun at the Mahakumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj with an exciting section on its search. If you type words like “Kumbh”, “Maha Kumbh”, “Kumbh Mela” search results bring a nice animation where rose petals fall on your screen. It is just that little nice touch that brings the whole search experience more into the festive mood and you even have the option to share the animation with your friends on Facebook, X, or Whatsapp. And of course, if you don’t know the answer, you want to replay it, or simply skip it!
The Mahakumbh Mela which started from 13/01/2020 and will going to end by 26/02/2025 is the largest spiritual fair of the globe. It is happening in the Triveni Sangam in Allahabad, where the river Ganga, river yamuna and the mythical river saraswati join together. Here millions of people take bath in the water with a belief that the water would wash all their sins and get them moksha.
On January 14, which festival was also celebrated as Makar Sankranti, rose petals were dropped from helicopters unto the devotees during the ‘Amrit Snan’. They spread on the ghats and akharas and the people sang Jai Shri Ram and Har Har Mahadev Peeplika replied. In the similar way, the first bath festival or ‘Paush Purnima Snan’ also had a similar shower of petals to the pilgrims.
There are about 50, 000 electric poles in the area and each of them has a QR code that the pilgrims can scan to get instructions on how to protect themselves and navigate the place. This also ensure that in case people get lost they can easily identify their positions to join their families.
Google’s fun feature falls well within its bid to harmonize the Indian cultural calendar and bring technology into it. It is an excellent example to show how modern techniques can complement the fun of age-old practices.
