The sacred saffron………………
Today i am writing in my blackberry phone sitting in waiting room at Allahabad station because I can't wait scribbling it down what I experienced last 2 days in KUMBH fair. I am not even back yet at my place rather waiting for my train now. My train is late by 1.30 hours almost, nothing to do, feeling very sleepy, tired, back pain, exhorted and now hoping for my train and bed linen.
It was a long back dream I cherish in my surreal sketch of India, that in the holy water of Ganges pilgrims of humanity will echo in the air the ‘Sacred Saffron’...From the day I have seen images of kumbh and the holy practices of Hinduism it was the biggest challenge for me to be there n connect with their spiritualism n faith to achieve nirvana.
This journey only for 3 days wasn’t to have a holy bath at all but to find good images of those unreal agonizing mysteries. It was more about looking inside me and knowing myself to be a part of my own brotherhood. No I am not trying to talk about any particular religion but yes I am trying to talk about a religion where we all feel same when we see billions of people are raising their hand to touch that untouched lotus feet which we have dreamed about. It is the religion of trust and mankind.
After 14 years ‘Maha Kumbh’ fair is there in Allahabad for next one month from today . Approximately 2crore people are expected to come on cming10th of February. The 'Sangam' of three rivers is the most sacred place in the world. It is the largest gathering of people anywhere around the world. I feel when u can actually be a single individual in that number of people you will feel proud about yourself. The river Ganges, Saraswati, and Jamuna three of them are meeting at one place and the smoke of sacred saffron spreads around the whole world.
'Akhara' s are the place to look for those monks and Naga monks. They are there for almost 2 months now. They have beautiful names of these akahara's following the name of Baba's(monks), like ‘Nirbak akhara’, ‘satyagun akhara’ n more interesting decoration on that as well. As people say naga monks are not very easy to approach and and talk, try and be aware of them but I had a very different experience on this. I spoke and shared time with them asked about their origin, and clicked their portraits as well. They are friendly, but yes not all. So you have to choose the wright one. Because I had bad experience too while they asked money from me for clicking their pictures. Now this I am sharing to all of you so that you can be a part of this wonderful experience also and cherish these moments as I have done.
This year the best place to find out Naga baba's, in Kumbh is around Pantoon gate no. 5 and 4. As the river bank changes with the flow of each and every monsoon so every time the area also changes.
Here I shouldn't miss to say one campaign of my friend who were there with me. He took an initiative to click pictures of any individual n give him or her that picture printout for free. He calls it 'Help Portrait.' Where you come and get yourself clicked by him and get a picture free. Now why he would do such? It is because he believes that one picture can give you a simple smile which you never expected at that moment of time and that smile would give him a satisfaction which he can cherish for rest of his life.
It’s nothing but a noble n easy step to give those people a moment of their life. We have clicked them so many times as our subject may be, but they never had their own 4X6 inches photograph. He made it possible by carrying a small printer all the way in Kumbh and took printout and had given those Naga monks.
I saw two pair of eyes which was shining when Naga monks smiled. We all know kumbh and how you can go there, so didn't try to give you information on it. But yes how I made it in this very busy schedule I can share. Friday night Rajdhani express which arrives there at Allahabad around 2. 30am, and then you get plenty of local transport to reach sangam. It charges 30 rs. Per head and then you are on your own. We didn't book any hotel as we were roaming whole day but you can if you need a resting place and if u don’t get place inside kumbh akhara then better you take a hotel near station only. Saturday night again at 2.30 am we were supposed to board our Azmer express but I am still waiting for that train while writing this at the moment and its now 3.30am. I am hoping my train will come soon and I can take a rest after roaming almost 15 kilometers at a circle radius in kumbh and the good news is my train is just postponed to more one hour late....
