'Kumbha' book review: An overly simple explainer of mega event in Prayagraj

This year's Kumbh, for instance, is significant on various levels, the first being the focus on sanitation and cleanliness

Some writers often confuse simple prose with platitudinous writing. Author Nityananda Misra seems to have fallen into that trap with Kumbha: The Traditionally Modern Mela. Much has been said and written about this year’s Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. There has been enough criticism and celebration of the Rs 4,000-crore mega event, especially one before the all-important general election. In this universe of analysis and opinion, Misra’s Kumbha sticks out like a sore thumb. It is neither analytical nor is the narrative engaging. At best, it is a tourist brochure for the Kumbh, possibly only for first-generation English readers who