Travelogues

Spending time at the Kumbh Mela was a fantastic experience.  There was so much to absorb...so much action!!!

• Naked Sadhus (monks) generously sharing their limited food, tents, and of course, pot, with me while their professing devotion to god.  Their devotion to a monastic life is impressive...although living with a constant buzz probably helps the cause 
• Vain and naked sadhus who couldn't wait to show off their dreadlocked shoulder length hair; have their photos taken; and then demand an instant review on the digital camera
• Aggressive / scary sadhus who would charge you down if they saw a camara pointed at them
• Seeing people (male, female, young, old, rich, poor, healthy and deathly sick) display their deep faith and bathing at the Sangam (confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers) in the hope of salvation
• Many of the same people showing their normal, aggressive, rude sides just outside the tent city (as if to say that the bath in the holy water cleansed them of all their historical sins, and so that they could revert to their usual selves).  See one of the attached pictures / story with a Rickshaw driver
• The surprisingly strong organisational capability displayed by the local government to put together a fully functional, temporary city for the event (tents, roads, water, electricity, security, toilets, etc). Makes you wish to see just some of that capability at work in of our own regular / real cities.

I admit that, as an Indian, it is easy to become jaded with all that is happening in your own backyard.  But growing older, and seeing a lot of the rest of the world, has helped me develop more of an appreciation of what we have right here in India.  Needless to say, this was a fantastic experience. I didn't go there for a religious experience...but for a cultural one...and I loved it.

The photographic opportunities were stunning and endless - especially if you enjoy people watching.  Frankly, the best way for me to share the experience would be through some of my photographs (and I intend to do that when I get to a high speed connection).

My only regret is that I didn't attend the festival on one of the holy bathing dates which brings out the frevour in the crowd, particularly the sadhus.  Hopefully there is a next time for that!!