New Delhi,(The Telegraph) : Eva Legall, 53, from Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany had wrapped India's flag round herself while she waited for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's jamboree to kick off.

"I want to show the world that India is not intolerant," she said on being asked why she was not displaying the German flag. "Isn't this a multi-cultural, multi-religion Kumbh Mela? Only India can host a celebration like this."

Eulia, 29, who teaches Russian to foreign students in Moscow University, said she had brought her friends along to introduce them to the organisers, the Art of Living Foundation.

The estimated 20,000 foreigners at the event, being hosted on the Yamuna's floodplain, seemed hardly bothered about the controversy over its possible environmental costs. Or by the scorching heat that was followed by rain and hailstones in the evening, or the 3km walk across slushy marshland to the venue.

Taren Langton, a pathologist from Leeds, said that in a world wracked by war at some places and religious fanaticism at some others, a cultural carnival like this would send out a message of "universal brotherhood".

"We can't get rid of all the problems the world has today through an event like this, but our coming together here is an indication that there is more good in the world than bad," he said as his wife Luthia swayed to the beats of dhaks from Maharashtra.

Ravi Shankar has relentlessly defended the programme over the past two days amid Opposition criticism of the government for supporting the event. Today, with Prime Narendra Modi seated near him, the spiritual guru again attempted to answer his critics.

"Some are saying it's a private party. Yes this is a private party, because the entire world is my family," he said as the crowd erupted in chants of " Jai Gurudev".

The organisers put the crowd at 10 lakh but police suggested three to five lakh, citing the unused chairs at a few enclosures. "Sitting arrangements have been made for eight lakh but the weather kept many local people away," said Ramesh Kataria, a cop.

Art of Living expects 35 lakh people from 155 countries at the three-day event, spread over 1,000 acres. At least 5,000 volunteers and as many cops have been deployed. The organisers say that more than 37,000 artistes are expected to perform, among them 8,000 musicians playing 40 kinds of instruments together in a musical symphony, 650 drummers from South Africa, and tribal artistes from Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Sikkim and other states.

Bharat Kumar, based in Muscat for the past 20 years, was "worried that heaps of garbage are not left behind when this extravaganza gets over" but didn't mind the lack of protection from rain.

"When events are organised on this scale, one can't complain about the lack of certain facilities. The arrangements are good enough although there is no roof over our heads," he said.

But Barbolona Jena, an economist with the Bulgarian government in Sofia, looked grumpy. "I've borrowed this raincoat from a volunteer.

When rain was predicted, they should have arranged for covered enclosures," she said.

"I don't know when the dance troupe from Bulgaria is going to perform, today or tomorrow. All of this is slightly mismanaged."

Delhi resident Payel Das, who had come with her daughter, a participant in the Bharatnatyam event, echoed her. "The rain has made it so chaotic. I wish there were some closed enclosures. My daughter is eight years old and has been drenched thrice. I'm worried she'll fall sick."

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