1.4 Reservation of land and its imperatives:

Unlike Prayagraj, in Nashik, the river banks are substantially smaller than the ones in Prayagraj, making the space unsuitable for the Mela to exist. Hence, a strategically chosen space is selected for it. Tapovan is an area in Nashik about three kilometers from the Ram Kund, where the Shahi Snan takes place. Tapovan is beside the river and is in close proximity to the old Nashik. As the city grew, Tapovan remained as an agricultural zone, until 2001, where the first reservation of land was announced by the state. The land allotted was 56 acres to begin with. The reserved land was published in the Development Plan of the city. Reserved land here means that the land is purely allotted for the Simhastha camp. No development on that land would be permitted, and any negotiations were not tolerated by the state. It is important to note that the state is doing this under political pressure from the religious institutes.

The next Kumbh Mela in 2015, required a larger parcel of land and it had much larger imperatives.

1. The reserved land exploded from 56 acres, to 300+ acres. A change in the DP in 2013, was introduced.

2. This reserved land was not acquired by the state, meaning the land is still owned by private individuals.

3. For the Kumbh Mela in 2015, the land was forcefully taken by the government by the process of requisition (renting of land), and acquisition (buying of land) from these individuals.

4. The private owners had to give up on their parcel of land for the Kumbh Mela, but were allowed to live in their houses (if they had one)

The point where the private stakeholders came into the picture, the land politics of the space saw a shift. Meaning the private landowners could not “develop” their parcel of land. They have to abide by the regulations put forth by the state.

The growth of the reserved land created a larger political turmoil for the state and the land owners. The state being pressured by religious institutions, and the land owners pressured by the state. This generated the current land politics in the reserved land of Nashik. Thus, the event leads to such consequences and forms a different livelihood post event. The post event becomes a space to understand the nuances regarding the “temporary”.