Sadhus and Cell Phones

[Guest guest]

Mobiles for sadhus fine, 5-star tents aren't

ENS Economic Bureau

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MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, JAN 11: It's all right for the sadhus at the

Maha Kumbh to pack mobile phones, some even sport Rolex

watches, but it's a no-no when it comes to `5-star tents'. Global

tour and travel operators Cox & Kings have been asked to pack

up their 74 Swiss-style cottage tents on 12 bighas of the Maha

Kumbh site, ostensibly because the sadhus objected to the

`5-star culture' on a purely religious occasion.

 

Cox & Kings was served the notice by the local administration

this morning, but the tour operator has got a stay order till 4 pm

tomorrow from the local court and plans to approach the

Allahabad High Court before that.

 

According to Anirudh Singh, Manager, Special Projects, at Cox &

Kings, the tour operator had got permission to set up tents as far

back as May last year -- after this, they even set up their own

electricity facilities, created sewage lines, and so on. Adds acting

CEO Urshiela Kerkar, ``It has cost us a bomb to set up these

tents -- this is the first time any tour operator has set up these

tents to attract foreign tourists. We could have bought the land

with the rent we've paid -- Rs 3.25 lakh.'' Kerkar denies charges

that liquor and non-vegetarian food were being served at their

tents -- ``anyone can walk in any time and see for themselves.''

 

Kerkar says there was an earlier public interest litigation against

setting up hotels at the Kumbh mela and the court had told

organisers to take appropriate action. ``Even earlier we went to

court regarding the PIL and gave an undertaking that nothing

which violates the religious code at the mela site would be done.

Many sadhus visited the site and gave their approval...then what

is the problem,'' she asks.

 

For a two-night stay, the company charges $481 per person from

foreigners and Rs 11,825 from Indians. Apart from facilities like

warm water and medical facilities, the tent colonies also offer

money-changing and lounge facilities for foreign tourists.

According to Singh, around 150 people were now staying at the

site and all tents have been booked for the entire 42 days of the

festival period.

 

So, where will pop diva Madonna, Pierce Brosnan and the likes

of Michael York stay when they come for a holy dip? Kerkar

shrugs, saying they weren't booked with Cox & Kings anyway, but

Singh brags that they are.

 

 

2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.