Delegates from 185 countries partake in Kumbh festivities

Two hundred and twenty delegates from 185 countries across the world landed in Prayagraj on Friday to take part in the ongoing Kumbh mela, an official said.

These visitors are part of a delegation of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) that was invited specially for the religious congregation. The delegates were accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh.

The delegates first made a stop over at the ICCR in New Delhi after which two special aircraft flew them to Prayagraj where they will be spending the day at the Kumbh mela.

"In the first aircraft, 58 foreigners and 14 officials have arrived. The second aircraft with the remaining delegates will come shortly after noon," an official informed IANS.

A special screening of the documentary "Kumbh: Eternal Journey of Civilisation" made by Harshit Jain was also shown to the visitors. They were greeted by a cultural troupe at the Bamrauli airport in Prayagraj.

Union minister VK Singh told reporters that the idea behind the visit was to make "them see that Kumbh is not just confluence of rivers but also of different religions and faiths".

He added that so far 22 crore people from across the country and the world have visited the Kumbh Mela. The visitors took a cruise on a ship named 'Sangam', specially decorated for the high-profile visit.

--IANS

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