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NASHIK, INDIA, May 14, 2003: The Kumbha Mela is scheduled to begin July 30, 2003, and about 250,000 sadhus and 700,000 pilgrims are expected to visit Nashik and Trimbakeshwar for the rituals till August, 2004. A new route constructed for the sadhus (without their consultation) for their holy baths during the forthcoming Kumbha Mela has been declared unusable as all the sadhus have refused to use it. At a meeting of officials and sadhus, the Mahants (head priests) of various akharas (monastic orders) said they would stick to the old route from the Sadhu Gram to the Ramkund at Godavari river for a holy dip during the Kumbha Mela. They said they would not use the new route which involved a detour of about half a kilometer and has a crematorium (very inauspicious) on the way. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde yesterday mooted a proposal of reserving land for the sadhus who visit Nashik during the Kumbha Mela. After a meeting with officials to review preparations, Shinde said encroachments near Panchavati was a recurring problem and suggested that the land on which the Sadhu Gram had been created be reserved permanently for sadhus. He said the municipal corporation should ensure that the land is kept free from encroachments.

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