Maha Kumbh Mela 2013

Maha Kumbh Mela 2013
Salvation on the
Religious gatherings are not new in India and most of them gather hundreds of thousands. Yet none
can match the Kumbh Mela, which occurs every 12 years and is currently in progress in Allahabad
on the banks of the Ganga river. The world’s biggest gathering of humanity, the Kumbh is simply
awe-inspiring and breathtaking.
Photos and text by Anil Nair
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banks of Ganga
“In the midst of the waters, the Lord is moving,
surveying men’s truth and men’s lies. How sweet
are the waters, crystal clear and cleansing. Now
may these great, divine Watersenliven me”.
—Rig Veda VII.49.3
Uttar Pradesh
Allahabad
Uttar Pradesh
Allahabad
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Culture
Tourism
A family of salvation
seekers make offering at
the Sangam
Milan Castalino, a Spanish carpenter, taking
bath in Ganga river
M
ilan Castalino has bathed in
many rivers across the
world during his travels.
But, at the crack of dawn
on February 10, 2013 the 28-year-old
carpenter from Spain had the “bath of
his life”. Bare chested and draped only
in a religious white loin cloth, he
stepped into the River Ganges in
Allahabad city in Northern India.
Trembling in the early morning cold and
swaying shoulder-to-shoulder with
millions of people chanting vedic
hymns and praying, he dunks thrice in
the murky numbing cold water with
hands folded.
Castalino was at the ‘Sangam’, the
confluence of the rivers Ganges and
Yamuna and a third mythical waterway
called the Saraswati, to attend the
55-day long Maha Kumbh Mela arguably the biggest Hindu religious
congregation of humans ever. Born a
Christian, he was swooned by the
mysticism of Hinduism three years ago
and joined the Vaishnav sect under his
spiritual teacher Swami Mukteshwar. “I
have been has been waiting for the
day of mauni amavasya for long. It is
believed to be the day when the
universe was created. Astrologically,
on this day, the Sun and the Moon
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enter into the Capricorn sign. A vow of
complete silence is observed - known
as Maun Vrat. This vow is assumed to
control our senses and engage them
into the service of God. The bath at the
‘Sangam’ on this day rids the person of
all past sins.”
Thousands of foreigners have
gathered at Allahabad for the sheer
scale of experience which is not
available anywhere in the world, to try
and walk the spiritual path, practice
yoga and listen to endless discourses.
Others just to ditch their garments,
which they believe are a hurdle
between the mortal being and the
salvation, before scampering to the
water.
His voice drowns under the shout
and cries of ash-smeared, dreadlocks
shaking ‘sadhus’ and holy men
marching along with the cacophony of
neighing of horses and trumpeting of
elephants towards the river banks.
Gongs and drums beat, trumpets
blare, conch shells blow and bells
ring. In the midst of the religious
melee’, photographers, TV journalists,
Western origin Sadhvi’s (women ascetics) from the Juna Akhada march after the holy dip
Culture
documentary - makers scramble to
capture the momentous event while
escaping the wrath displayed by the
‘naga sadhu’s’ or the naked mendicants
on being clicked and also batonwielding policemen, who have been
positioned across the sprawling 58 sq
km campus.
Castalino’s religious dip fell on a day
when 30 million other Hindus immersed
themselves in what is the most overcrowded and awaited mass-bathing
event on the most auspicious day of
the world’s largest spiritual event. The
Maha Kumbh Mela or Gigantic Pitcher
fair, which began on January 10 and
ends in March, takes place every 12
years in Allahabad, also known by its
Sanskrit name of Prayag. Similar,
smaller events are held every three
years in other locations of religious
significance around India where as per
mythology the nectar, that was churned
out of the Ocean after a duel between
the Gods and the demons, got
sprinkled from the ‘kumbh’, the pitcher.
“The Maha Kumbh Mela is a rare
combination of planetary alignment
once every 147 years. Hindus believe
this is where their millions of gods
come to bathe, so it is the holiest place.
Therefore, people travel from all over
India and from all over the world
because of this faith”, says a man,
almost slipping and falling while
mouthing out the information as he
dries himself after his dip amidst the
thronging crowd.
On the flood plains where the three
rivers meet in Prayag, a massive and
functional city is built in a matter of
weeks. As many as 5,000 ashrams or
camps, most of which are tent cities, in
the Mela grounds, each receiving
thousands of participants.
A sea of humanity constantly pours
into the city for the main bathing dates
of the Kumbh by air, rail, road and foot,
says senior police official Maulik Panth,
standing beneath a bamboo scaffolding
tower erected for security personnel.
People come to this concentrated spot
by coming through several routes, in
unreserved railway coaches and even
stay in homes-on wheels parked at
parking lots scattered around the
Kumbh venue. Dressed in riot-control
gear, with binoculars aimed at the
amalgam of men, women, children and
saints, he adds that approximately 50
million people had attended the last
Kumbh in 2001 in the same city. This
time, the number is expected to double
to 100 million, spread over the 55 days.
Outside of the fair dates, the ‘Kumbh
City’ is not an inhabited part of
Allahabad. There is no pre-existing
water or electricity supply, or any
system to get rid of human waste. But
by the time the festival started this
January, Kumbh City was a bustling
metropolis with a population larger
than most permanent cities in the world
and many small countries too. The
government erects vast tent cities,
some 80,000 toilets, hospitals,
temporary
markets,
emergency
services, food stands, supply shops
and offices. “Making sure all of that
stays clean is quite literally a matter of
life and death. Every minute is critical,”
he adds before turning attention to his
walkie talkie.
“It is like building a city inside a city
for a population which is constantly
moving. Nothing is static here,” Panth
says. Over 12,000 police and paramilitary provide security in 14 zones
cordoned off across and criss-crossed
with more than 50 kilometres of roads
on foot and horseback. The fact that
Maha Kumbh mela preparations is also
an organiser’s nightmare is clear while
walking around the cumbersome ‘city
of tents’. The authorities have arranged
for 80 million litres of drinking water,
put up 40,000 portable toilets,
stationed 243 doctors and treated over
a 100,000 people for various infections
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at the14 hospitals within the campus.
Sitamukhi Yadav has travelled over
250 kilometres from her village in Bihar
in Eastern India along with 26 others
and trudges towards the bathing area
along a tightly cordoned pathway
holding hands and with the ends of
their clothing tied to that of her older
sister, so that they do not get lost in the
crowd of millions of devotees. They
reached the venue with bed, blankets
and food supplies after commuting by
train, bus and a trek of nearly 35
kilometres.
A widow with three children to feed
from a monthly earning of less than
$60 selling vegetables, 34-year-old
Yadav was determined to embark on
this pilgrimage and take a dip to pray
for the soul of her departed husband.
The fear of millions of devotees
congregating at one spot, the
possibility of losing her family members
in the colossal crowds, worry of a
possible stampede did not override her
faith in making the arduous trip to the
banks of “Ganga Maiya” or Mother
Ganges.”We are very poor people. All
we have is faith. That is what brings me
to this holy place. I can also see the
sadhus and saints here. No one will be
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Woman making roti is Sitamukhi Devi from Bihar
alive for the next Kumbh”, she says
chanting “har har gange”, praising river
Ganges.
It is only faith that manages to lure
not only the unsung devotee over the
years but also personalities like the
Dalai Lama, who took part in a
unique environmental initiative to clean
up the Ganga of waste, pollutants and
effluents in the 2001 Kumbh Mela, to
Harvard students for a case study
in chaos, to celebrated BBC
correspondent from India Mark Tully
who performed a ‘Ganga Arti’ (prayer
to the river with a flaming lamp) at the
Maha Kumbh. Of course, there are the
jet-setting holymen, publicity-seeking
movie stars, Westerners hypnotised
by Eastern and cross section of
national and international politicians,
bureaucrats, world leaders and artists
who constantly beeline for the VIP
bathing areas.
Entwined with the faith of the people
for the Ganga is the mysticism
surrounding the thousands of holy men
who are an integral part of the Kumbh.
The grand spectacle of processions of
naga (naked) sadhus from different
akharas (orders) in their gold and silver
chariots being pulled by devotees, is
regarded as their time for show of
strength and skills. Sitting in his tent
smoking ‘chillum’, a traditional smoking
pipe filled with hashish or marijuana
and tobacco, after his morning dip is a
red-eyed mendicant named Maheshgiri
who belongs to the Atal sect of the
Juna Akhada, the oldest order of the
nagas.
“The Kumbh is an informal assembly
of ascetics and yogis and as a kind of
parliament of Hinduism. We also
Culture
Allahabad’s iconic
pontoon bridge erected
and dismantled for the
Kumbh Mela
Entwined with the faith
of the people for the
Ganga is the mysticism
surrounding the
thousands of holy men
who are an integral part
of the Kumbh.
discuss religious doctrine and possible
reform in society. Sadhus who stay
naked the year round, ascetics who
practice the most severe physical
disciplines, hermits who leave their
isolation for these pilgrimages only,
teachers who use modern microphones
and public-address systems to talk to
the crowds, gather here to meet
pilgrims. Faith is what brings us all
together”, explains the spiritual leader
directing people away from the camp
with his silver ornate trident bearing the
pennant of their order.
Just as he breaks off into a spiritual
energy-roused trance, muttering vedic
shlokas from ancient scriptures, a
mobile phone rings aloud from the skin
sacks of one of the holy men signifying
how the festival, with a recorded
reference dating back to the 7th
century by Chinese Buddhist traveler
Xuanzang during his visit to the
Allahabad Kumbh, has morphed into a
setting where the spiritual world
appears to share the same bandwith
with technology.
These godmen claim to be tasked
with the protection of Hinduism for
centuries by their spiritual leader Adi
Shankaracharya who formed their
various orders in the 8th century.
Udaigiri baba, who heads the Atal sect
accepts a wad of Indian currency from
an orange-robed and matted-haired
disciple that has been donated by
someone. He blesses a group of newly
inducted sadhu’s and scolds one of
them ferociously for accepting a cup of
tea before he has completed his rituals
of initiation. The youngest of the lot,
15-year-old Manikgiri and Udaigiri,
explain that the ‘freshers’ would
undergo a rigorous three year training
in armed combat and learning of the
scriptures before they can become
sadhus. “If words won’t suffice... then
the sadhu may have to lift the weapon
to defend religion”, Manikgiri says in a
sage tone, beyond his years.
Nearby, another ensemble of holy
men go about their task of cleansing.
But, apart from chanting soul-soothing
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Green Ganga campaigner
hymns, divine discourses and indulging
in yoga practices, the occupants of
Parmarth Niketan are busy canvassing
for cleaning up the highly-polluted
Ganga -- an issue that has exposed the
disregard for environment by kumbh
mela’s organisers and the common
man for decades.
The river receives 2.9 billion litres of
sewage a day along its 2500 km
length, enough sewage to fill 1,600
Olympic-size swimming pools every
day. Effluents containing arsenic from
the tanning industry have also had
its damning effects on the Ganga for
years. Ahead of the Kumbh, Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had
warned of action against industries
polluting the river and ordered the
release of water from the country’s
highest dam in Tehri to meet demands
for the festival.
Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami is
a busy man on Mauni Amavasya.
Standing nearly 6 feet in his ‘sanyasi’
garment and saffron flop hat, the blond
Swami, who was born a German, is the
founder and spiritual master of
VRINDA, an association of Vaishnava
devotees of Lord Krishna. He has been
championing for river cleaning
schemes across the world and came to
the Kumbh to try and ensure that the
holy river does not end up as a mere
sewer.
“Hindus have always cared for the
environment but people have begun to
forget this because of population
growth and lack of resources. The
Kumbh has been attracting foreigners
for ages and this year I sense attempts
are being made that the Ganga is
polluted less. We are holding a series
of campaigns and awareness drives
across sections of society as the
Ganga is tainted by industry and the
settlements along its banks, turning the
clear waters that gush from the
Himalayas into a horrible cocktail
downstream”, says the 60-year-old
with disquiet. Quickly bursting into a
smile he directs numerous volunteers
who have come from Columbia, Peru,
Italy, Israel and the US to prepare for
their next costume act.
As the sun goes crimson over the
Ganga, the focus of the millions and
those trickling in once again draws to
the river banks for the ‘arti’ the Hindu
ritual of worship where priests stand on
boats facing the water with oil lamps
chanting hymns in praise of the mother
river as children gaze with awe while
perched on top of their parent’s
shoulders and devotees bow in
obeisance. The loudspeakers blaring
from the thousands of tents add as an
additional audio track to the whole
surreality of the situation. But, even
through this babble of noises, a wailing
shriek of a woman is audible. In a
choked up voice she says in heavilyaccented Bengali accent, “I am
Mahuvadevi from Sobra village in
Ranchi, in Jharkhand. I got separated
from my children please come to the
lost and found department in sector 1.
I am very worried...”, the sobbing voice
trails away and a man continues his
A naga sadhu’s dreadlocks are his identity and
ornamentation
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regular announcements in Hindi sitting
in a tent that witnesses some of the
most heart wrenching scenes of
reunion of families at the Kumbh.
Set up in 1954 by a local politician
and philanthropist, the lost and found
department is one of the most visited
department’s by the salvation seekers.
The enterance to the tent is rarely
visible as it is chock-a-block with
people round the clock, holding chits
of paper with details of their family
members written on them to be handed
over to the announcer. Vimlaji is almost
in a bear hug with her son after being
reunited with him three days after she
got lost. The 85-year-old was robbed
of her ornaments and blouse. “We
came to take blessings of river Ganga
and wash away sins, and i am only
thankful to her that I found my mother
again. Others are not so lucky”, says
her son as he leads her away to their
camp.
The sun has set over Allahabad’s
horizon but the dust in the tent cities,
kicked up by the non-stop marching of
thousands, refuses to settle down. The
floodlights are switched on and the
amaranthine flow of people, hawkers
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selling trinkets and religious books on
carts and religious groups squatting on
the ground and singing praises of god
continue unabated till the news of a
stampede involving devotees dying at
the railway station trickles in.
The river receives 2.9 bn
litres of sewage a day
along its 2,500 km length,
enough sewage to fill 1,600
Olympic-size swimming
pools every day. Ahead
of the Kumbh, Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh had warned of
action against industries
polluting the river.
The incident ushers murmurs among
some elders about the stampede in
1954 when hundreds died and many
more were injured at the first postindependence Kumbh Mela. The
tragedy unfolded before the eyes of
then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
and was attributed to poor land-use
planning.
Amid the many salvation-seekers
and sluggishly making his way to his
shelter Farrell Corn, a sound recording
engineer from England, stops for
dinner at one of the better eateries.The
30-km barefoot walk since dawn
through the vast crowds has taken its
toll on his feet and his bag bears a tear
that was received in the tug of war to
get through the criss cross of crowd
but his stone-ringed ornate fingers
and necklaces have survived the
sacred dip.
To him the Kumbh was an
experience with a thousand contradictions that place at the banks of a
hallowed river. “It is invigorating to be
part of a moment where men, women,
young, old, rich, poor are all heading
towards seeking salvation through
the one of the most testing of
human conditions.
I understand that Lahiri Mahashaya,
the paramguru of the famous saint
Paramahansa Yogananda, author of
Autobiography of a Yogi, met his
guru, the Mahavatar Babaji, at
Kumbh. Anything can happen after
coming here,” the stupefied Londoner
says. n