Traditional kitchen for Kalpwasis at Magh Mela

ALLAHABAD: With lakhs of devotees to spend a month long stay (from January 12 to February 10) on the banks of Ganga , the Magh Mela administration has arranged as many as 10,000 “chulhas” (earthen stoves made of soil) for kalpwasis who would be preparing their meals once a day during their stay on mela campus.
Since kalpwasi prepare their meals through traditional method and consume food once in a day, the mela administration has, in fact, developed the concept of traditional kitchen for them.Apart from earthen stoves, mela administration has also decided to provide cow dung cakes, known as gobar ke uple, and raw food materials to get the authentic food taste.
District magistrate, Sanjay Kumar told TOI “ Earthen stove makers from Phaphamau, Jhunsi, and Daraganj have been engaged to shape adequate number of earthen stoves for kalpwasis".
Religious scholar, Ashutosh Varshney says “ Devotees who observe month long kalpwas on the banks of Ganga usually follow rituals and prepare their meals once a day on earthen stoves with the help of cow dung cakes”. During the Kalpwas, devotees eat ‘satwik’ and nutritious food as it helps them to attain good health and develop thoroughgoing immunity. This was the prime reason for kaplwais prepare their meals through traditional method attribute a naturally acquired immunity with no hypersensitivity and low cost.
DM, meanwhile, said “ we are expecting around 1.5 lakh people would be performing kalpwas on the banks of ganga next year and for that, adequate number of earthen stoves are being designed and shaped. Besides, land has been provided to potters ( earthen stove makers) free of cost inside mela campus.