Mahakumbh: Colour coded flags give teerth purohits a unique identity

Each of the over 1000 families of teerth purohits (pilgrim guides) have a different flag or “Nishan” of varying colours, sizes, shapes and symbols. The unique mode adopted by ancestors of teerth purohits centuries ago continues to act as their identity. Several generations of these pilgrim guides, whose presence is integral to the Mahakumbh, have been using the flags handed over by their forefathers.

On arrival in the mela area at Sangam, their respective ‘jajmaans’ from all over the country look for the flag to locate their respective purohit’s camp.

Despite the presence of around 1000 teerth purohits with a similar number of different ‘Nishans’ at the Sangam, there has not been a single clash that has come to light regarding the symbol or any other element of a flag between the purohits, said Pandit Rajendra Paliwal, president of Prayagwal Sabha, an organisation of Teerth Purohits.

“This identity of every teerth purohit was decided since the beginning by our forefathers, when the Mela commenced at the Sangam. My flag bears the symbol ‘Hari Machli’ (Green Fish). It certainly would have been a need-based solution to enable pilgrims arriving in the sprawling Mela area on the banks of Sangam, track their respective purohits to avoid any clash of interests,” he said.

Anuj Tiwari, another teerth purohit camping at the banks of Sangam, has pilgrims practising Kalpvas from not only North India but from the Southern part of the country as well.

“My multicoloured flag has a bird cage as symbol. Every flag, along with details of the respective teerth purohits, is registered with our organisation, the Prayagwal Sabha, which was registered under the Societies Act in 1949. Earlier, mode of communication was limited to just writing letters, besides the mela area was not so systematically divided into sectors,’ he said.

Tiwari said “Nishan” or flags were the only means for pilgrims to locate their family purohit.

“Though now we have mobile phones, when pilgrims arrive in the Mela area, flags flying at considerable height make it easier for them to locate our camp,” he said.

These flags are an error-free mode to ensure the clientele of every purohit without causing a dispute, he added.