Every three years the Hindu people of India flock in their millions to participate in the Kumbh Mela and to bathe in one of the sacred rivers at four holy locations. It is said that a dip during the Kumbh Mela takes humans out of the circle of life and death and into a state known as Mosksha. 2010 was the turn of Haridwar, in Uttar Pradesh state (220 kilometers from Delhi), where the River Ganges rushes from the foothills of the Himalayas onto the plains and the first geographic opportunity for mass bathing – and a mass bathing it really is! This year an estimated 70 million souls took part during the 3 months of the festival, with 15-17 million bathing in and around Haridwar on the holiest day, Shahi Shan, Wednesday 14th April. This is the largest religious festival on the planet, 15 million is about twice the population of Switzerland.
I was there for a week and each day I walked to the river and the ghats (steps into the water) where bathing and rituals take place. The streets, many no wider than alleyways, were packed with thousands making the same journey at all times of the day and night. The alleyways were lined with food stalls with pans of smoking oil for frying within touching distance, the more popular ones creating road blocks that were often difficult to pass. Family and village groups would be seen clinging on to each other so not to be separated. Despite the crowds, the intense heat and the weight of the belongings that most carried with them, they quietly and resolutely made their way to “Mother Ganga” without a murmur of complaint. With a little help it was possible to identify people from the four corners of India by their dress and headwear. There was a very intense police presence, the majority of whom just blew on their whistles and pointed and pushed the pilgrims in their preferred direction. With a pass that allowed me through several road blocks I often failed to understand just why the pilgrim’s journeys were made longer and more difficult than need be? Once at the water’s edge the mood changed, one could sense the joy and excitement of having at last arrived.
The Ganga Aarti is performed every evening at sunset at the Ha-Ki Pauri Ghat. It is quite a spectacle to see the priests perform their rituals with their flaming bowls as the crowd chant the holy Aarti mantras. At the waters edge little clay containers, called diyas, with lighted cotton wicks and flowers are floated away on the river with the pilgrim’s hopes and wishes. I have included 2 photographs in my Kumbh Mela collection.
The Naga Babas (naked Sadhus) are revered, respected and cared for by the Hindu people. Many are only ever seen at the Kumbh Mela, spending their time in the mountains and forests meditating and practicing yoga, whilst others will be active in the community where they live. They really are a sight to behold, their dreadlocks piled onto the top of their heads and their bodies covered with ash from the fire, oblivious of their nakedness. Their big day is Shahi Shan, the Sadhus Royal bath day. I witnessed the last at this year’s Kumbh Mela. In groups determined (I believe?) by superiority they process from their camps to the Ha-Ki-Pauri Ghat that had been cleared of pilgrims and washed clean before their arrival. They gathered patiently at the waters edge, most naked, many wearing bead necklaces and some with swords and tridents. A signal is given and they jump into the river, happy and laughing and many frolicking like children. Their only audience are the media and the police lined up on the opposite bank and those who will witness it on television throughout India and around the world. After an allocated time they move off, another group arrives and the process is repeated. This carries on for hours. It’s not just for the Naga Babas, swamis and yogis and all manner of holy men participate, many in their saffron robes and under an ornate parasole surrounded by their acolytes and devotees. Quite a spectacle.
On a couple of afternoons, after several hours by the river, I ventured to Haridwar Railway Station, what a sight that was too. The large open space in front of the station building was packed with people, most in groups, eating and sleeping and waiting for their train home. Inside the station there were thousands more. Every available space was taken as the police with sticks pushed the people back to make space for others to get to and from the trains. As trains arrived the passengers disgorged with their belongings as others attempted to squeeze past to secure a seat. With just a couple of (blocked) toilets for thousands of people many had to resort to squatting on the lines in full view of all. Children would urinate at the platform edge facing the waiting carriage protected by an adult. What option did they have? How they coped in the packed trains beggars belief. No sooner did a train arrive than people clambered onto the ledges around the engine, tying and hooking their bags on anything available, others sat on the carriage roofs. Most people preferred to cross from platform to platform across the lines, rather than the footbridges. Arriving and departing trains travelled very slowly proceeded by a railway employee waving a flag and shouting through a portable loudspeaker to clear the lines.
I will never forget my time at Haridwar, an extremely moving experience in every respect.
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