I agree that public hygiene and collective discipline which is so important to cleanliness of public places. In the talk I was referring only to the Mahakumbh. Many have remarked about the unusual cleanliness of the river and the roads in the Mahakumbh given the enormous crowds coming there. In retrospect, one reason could be the use of biodegradable, leaf plates (pattal, dona) and earthen cups as was the practice in India before paper and plastic plates and cups came in. I suppose these blend with nature and don’t get easily noticed.
Varanasi ghats were much cleaner, a striking contrast from my last visit in late nineties. I don’t know about Haridwar. I visited in 2009 whence it was dirty but the Ganga and the Arti was evocative of deep feelings which probably made it not so noticeable. And while civic sense is very much still sadly missing in India, despite the current government efforts (old ways die hard) but the change is palpable. Yet the speciality of India and its power to cleanse the heart and soul is very much intact and it is such a wonder to see that men with a living faith in the Divine manifesting through the rivers, mountains, trees, plants and animals are still there. I am sure it won’t take long to catch up with outer cleanliness as well which is no doubt, integral to the total harmony that we seek.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
