Many are worldlypeople turned ascetics eking out spartan lives as kalpavasis (those who spend their days in silent prayer) at the ongoing Kumbh Mela, the biggest religious gathering in the world.
Still, anyone who thinks that Muslims will be discouraged from making the haj is underestimating the appeal of a spiritual journey in which people forget their worldly concerns and share the hazards and joys of voyaging and praying with their co-religionists.