Jivesh Nanden is going to build a city on a sandbank, to house and feed a population over twice the size of Greater London- in three months. Jivesh is the Kumbh Mela officer responsible for transforming the Kumbh site and has been given a budget of only 2 million pounds. Considering Britain's Millennium Dome cost 800 million, the sum is meagre in comparison.

He is organising workers to build 28 police stations and 16 hospitals; erect 50, 000 electricity poles and 150 telephone booths; and dig 28 tube wells, 250 kilometres of water pipes and 75,000 latrines, all at the same time.

He is running too weeks behind schedule but feels comfortable that all will be complete on time and the Kumbh will run smoothly. This is despite the fact he also has the difficult job of liasing with the Sadhu Akharas and negotiating their position on the campsite and order in the processions to the bathing ground. Traditionally, the Juna Akhara comes first but the argument is raised at every Kumbh and has lead to bloodshed in the past.

How Jivesh will use his diplomatic skills is yet to be seen.