The Vichar Mahakumbh or Congregation of Ideas that took place last week in Ujjain to coincide with the Kumbh, marked an attempt to revive a millennial tradition that had been discarded over time. In the ancient period, each Kumbh witnessed a gathering of leading shastris and other learned rishis and intellectuals who congregated to debate theological issues of Hindu dharma. Shastric discourses would continue into the night and sometimes go on for days together. Before dispersing, the pundits usually reached a mimansa (solution) which was then carried back to their respective followers and became the new articles of faith.
The Mahakumbh at Ujjain this year may not have debated theological issues, but reports suggest that Shastris from all over India expressed their views on the problems confronting Hindu society. They reaffirmed the challenges posed by Jihadi Islam on the one hand and Western cultural imperialism on the other, which threaten the unique identity of Hindu society. That in turn has consequences for Indian civilisation as a whole, which faces many existential dilemmas at present.
Organisers of the Ujjain Simhasth would do a service to Hindu society if they compile the deliberations of the Vichar Mahakumbh and make that available to the people -- both online and through printed text so that those interested may internalise the debates and carry the message of the Ujjain Simhasth forward.