Picture © Rohan A Singh
Friday, March 29, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The Immortal Kumbh Mela # 6 - The Conclusion of a Great Journey
A bastion of Allahabad Fort. Constructed in 1583 AD by Emperor Akbar, it was one of the largest forts made during Emperor Akbar's times.. There is a Ashokan Pillar inside the fort as well..
Observe the Indo-Islamic style of architecture
On my way back I came across quite a few sights which made me glad that i chose the the way i chose to head back.. I came across the Allahabad Fort (Const. in 1583 AD by Emperor Akbar, right next to The Sangam) Bada Hanuman Mandir, the Triveni Bazaar of the Kumbh Mela and the Gaudiya Mutt Temple (known for its bulging shikhars/peaks)..
The Bada Hanuman Temple
This temple, located close to The Sangam, has a huge idol of Lord Hanuman, in a reclining position, 20 ft long and 8 ft wide.. This temple gets submerged when the water level of the River Ganges increases during the monsoons..
The Triveni Bazaar of the Kumbh Mela..
The Triveni Bazaar was a mela, located close to the Sangam, where sherbets, trinkets, necklaces,
bangles, religious objects amongst other things were being sold.
Pilgrims who were heading back to their hotels or the railway/bus
stations were stopping by to have a look at the items being sold.
A Stall selling necklaces made of beads
Triveni Bazaar was pretty rushed with devotees making a pit stop here and checking out the products on sale..
A stall selling religious objects
Another thing which I observed was that how the corporate’s
capitalized on the Kumbh Mela’s popularity by putting up hoardings all over,
the charge being lead by the Cola companies.
The Gaudiya Mutt Temple
This mutt is well known for the beautiful temple which has shikhars (peak) which bulge in the middle.. A design rarely seen in India..
My trip to the largest congregation of humankind on the
planet was an unforgettable one and one which I would cherish forever not only because
of the sheer volume of people who turned up but also the variety of people who
turned up from all corners of the country, the hardships which they faced and
the risks which they took to take a dip in the holy water of the Sangam (Confluence
of Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati) in order to cleanse away their sins (and also
those of their ancestors) and thus reserve a spot for themselves in heaven.
An ascetic taking a break from the long walk home..
This ancient tradition which takes place every twelve years had endured when we
were not here.. Will endure while we are here.. And would endure even after we have moved on.. The Immortal Kumbh Mela..
Friday, March 15, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The Immortal Kumbh Mela # 5 - The Sangam
(This is the fifth part of my travelogue over the series on Purna Kumbh Mela - 2013, 'The Immortal Kumbh Mela'. This post is in continuation of the fourth post. The posts in this series will be in a continuous form.)
Gigantic Crowd of pilgrims (amounting to millions) on the banks of the Sangam
When I finally reached Sangam, after taking the Triveni Road,
a rare sight came across my eyes. The banks of the Sangam
(Confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati) was swarming with
people. The multitude of pilgrims extended till the horizon. There was a dull roar which hung like a mist in the atmosphere.
There were no change rooms of any sort.. The pilgrims had to change in the open.. There were some small cubicles for the womenfolk for changing but their mud floors were wet so very few were using them..
Pilgrims were
disrobing, besides the banks, bathing and offering prayers. They were setting afloat little float-ables which
had small lamps/diyas and flower petals in them. I observed that people who had come in groups were going in batches (instead of going together) to have a dip while the others stayed back to keep their belongings and their spot on the riverbank safe.
I came across a semi-clad lady (traveling alone) (in the train when i was coming towards The Sangam) who was crying because her clothes had been stolen while she went bathing and had to roam semi naked until the police gave her a shawl to cover herself. All she was holding, and treasuring, on the way back to her village was a bottle of Gangajal.
Pilgrims bathing in the Sangam
Pilgrims bathing in the Sangam.. Observe the people standing in the water beyond the safety poles..
I came across a semi-clad lady (traveling alone) (in the train when i was coming towards The Sangam) who was crying because her clothes had been stolen while she went bathing and had to roam semi naked until the police gave her a shawl to cover herself. All she was holding, and treasuring, on the way back to her village was a bottle of Gangajal.
Leave aside the riverbank, people had to jostle for space in the water as well to find a quiet place to bathe and pray..
Some pilgrims hired boats to take them to the Sangam Tapu (an island in the middle of the Sangam) (where it is believed that the water is purer) for bathing and praying.. Observe how the Tapu is crowded..
Many Sadhus were sitting on
the riverbank and were willingly applying ‘Teekas’ to pilgrims foreheads.
An ascetic sitting besides the riverbank.. He graciously applied teeka (vermillion) on my forehead..
The sight was massive in its own right. And such a sight
occurs only once in 12 years. The view of the banks, which met my eyes, was so overpowering that I had to sit down,
under the only tree I could see, and try to soak in the atmosphere. There were
millions of people around the confluence of the rivers, and they were present
on every inch of the riverbank. All the ghats like Arail e.t.c. were full to
the brim and overflowing. There were people on the island in between the
Sangam, called the Sangam Tapu, as well.
Observe how the riverbank on the opposite side is swarming with people as well.. There were people to be found everywhere you looked that day..
The largest congregation of mankind on the planet has the
power to sweep you off your feet. The view was magnificent to say the least and
it was a sight one wouldn’t see for the next 12 years. After staying there for a
while I had to make a move back to my hotel and that was a 9 kilometer walk in
hot sun.
(Continued in Part 6..)
Friday, March 8, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The Immortal Kumbh Mela # 4 - People at the Kumbh
(This is the fourth part of my travelogue of my series over the Purna Kumbh Mela - 2013, 'The Immortal Kumbh Mela'. This post is in continuation of the third post. The posts in this series will be in a continuous form.)
After coming across an interesting traveler in the form of a Swiss Photographer.. My mental will to proceed to the
Sangam (by making my way through hundred thousands of people) was rejuvenated. Remember,
a stomach bug had dehydrated me the previous day and I was still recovering
from it.. In this post, I think I must describe the kind of people, I saw, visiting
the Kumbh Mela.
A sea of people making their way around the Kumbh Mela Grounds
There were millions of people in the Kumbh Mela during the
day of the ‘Shahi Snan of Mauni Amavasya’. When I was in the mela grounds I saw
that the lanes were crammed and people were moving in all directions. Many with
baggage over their heads were making their way towards the tent area, some
pilgrims were making their way out of the mela while some were heading towards the Sangam.
Ascetics seeking alms on one of the paths in the Mela grounds
There was a lot of pushing and pulling happening. The Swiss photographer whom I met said that on his first day at the mela people kept
pushing him around.. On the second day he resisted, by asking people not to push him and
from the third day he started to push people back in return.
International Tourists clicking pictures of the crowds around them while sitting on a Rath (Chariot) usually meant for the Sadhus
An overwhelming majority of the pilgrims were from the economical class of the society. That said there were a
large number of international tourists in the mela, quite a few of whom were lodged in
plush tents close to the river bank. There were foreign exchange students who had come to
visit the fair as well. I met some of them while I was heading back to Delhi.
A major observation (and a cause for wonder and awe) of mine was that even though the distance people have
to travel to reach the Mela is long.. the amount of miles people have to walk is a lot.. the lack of proper
accommodation and the quality of water was alarming(scientists said that the water
of the Ganges was not fit for bathing and drinking).. The pilgrims were not deterred at all from visiting the fair. Even the chances of a stampede happening or a companion
getting lost (something which is very common) does not deter pilgrims to come
to the Kumbh.
The temporary tents set up by the administration was overflowing with people and many were forced to sit on the road itself
Pilgrims sitting besides the road with bag and baggage
Pilgrims cooking food in open grounds.. People were relieving themselves in open air not far from this spot..
(Poor) Pilgrims or devotees start from their homes with
their baggage in tow, jump on a bus or a train (usually without reservation), reach Allahabad, walk a 9km
road (the helpful, pun intended, administration had made the movements of vehicles and even
cycle rickshaws during the Kumbh Mela unauthorized) and then squat in the Mela grounds. They
might or might not have a tent to cover their heads at night.. They cook in the
open.. and in how much adequate quantity do they get to eat food is also something I wondered..
Some pilgrims had settled down outside this tent.. Cooking and freshening up in front of it..
Another view of the pilgrims who had accommodated themselves in the open grounds
It set me thinking as to what inspires millions of people to undertake
such an arduous journey to come to this place just in order to have a bathe ?
One word answered all my questions ‘The Promise of Salvation’. I had heard this
quote ‘ Faith can move Mountains’.. and now I had seen with my own eyes how ‘Faith’
can inspire an ocean of people to come from their homes (miles away) to the
Sangam and have a bathe in the hope that immersing oneself in the Sangam at the right moment (which is pre-judged as per the movement of the stars) would
wash away their sins and the sins of their ancestors and pave their way to heaven..
An elderly pilgrim carrying on his shoulders a replica of the Trishul (Trident) (Weapon used by Lord Shiva). Observe the string of Rudraksh beads (used by Lord Shiva) wrapped on the Trishul.
