Kumbha Mela Nectar and...

[Guest guest]

>Vrinda (AT) aol (DOT) com >Vrinda (AT) aol (DOT) com >Kumbha Mela nectar Keeps

Flowing >Fri, 2 Feb 2001 11:46:08 EST > >Our cooks are working

practically without sleep. Sarva and I went at midnight >to see them and

encourage them. They are from Vrindavan and so they are all >working very hard

and shouting at the top of their lungs, "Jaya! Jaya! Sri >Radheeeeeeeeee

Shyam!" Everyone is praising the prasad and the arrangements, >even very

sophisticated members from Bombay. Rupa and his crew are doing a >wonderful job

and the Padayatra devotees are doing a wonderful seva serving >prasad to

devotees and guests. > >Actually our prasad timings in the Devotee and Guest

Prasad Pandal are 9am and >3pm, but practically prasad is going on

continuously. Devotees are arriving at >all times, guests are arriving at all

times, and all the young foreigners have >heard about our wonderful prasad. Our

motto is service, so we try to satisfy >everyone. Even they come after 10 at

night tired and hungry from walking a few >Kms as no cars are allowed now, we

try to satisfy them. Everyone is praising >the organization and arrangements. >

>Meanwhile Atmaram from Spain met some journalist from Germany and he showed

>them around the camp. They asked to see the 'other camp', so he walked them

>2.5 >kms down the road. He thought they might be hungry so he took them to

Adri's >canteen where he has tables and chairs to teach the Indians western

culture. >They didn't want anything, but he served himself a tiny plate from

the buffet. >Adri came and looked at them with crossed eyes, then left and soon

a devotee >appeared with a bill for Rs.100. Atmaram questioned him about it, but

he was >very insistent so he paid. The journalists felt it was very low class

and >reimbursed him. > >Three congregation members wandered on down there one

day. They were >accustomed >to our free policy and so they sat down and took

some prasad. Someone soon >appeared with a bill for Rs.150 and they pleaded

they only had Rs.25 in their >pocket. He told them that they couldn't leave

until they pay. Again they >emptied their pockets, but there was only Rs.25.

They were told they couldn't >leave until they paid. Finally he agreed to let

one go to bring some money, >but >finally they got permission to call and one

friend came down to bail them out >of captivity. > >People are pouring in like

millions of ants carrying their belongings on their >heads. No cars are moving

on the road, just millions of pilgrims. It is really >amazing site. The

barricading to make lines in front of the Prasad Pandal >finally snapped like

tooth picks, so we just opened the big exit gate and let >everyone come in. It

is really amazing. Devotees are sleeping anywhere they >can >find a space. Our

pandal is packed with pilgrims sleeping, underneath the >padayatra cart tent

people are sleeping, in the Abhay Charan video tent people >are sleeping. The

papers told that the auspicious time started at 3 pm on 23rd >so all night

people are going to the Sangam. I woke up at 3 am and went out >and >the street

is packed but moving smoothly toward the pontoon bridges. It has to >be seen to

believe. > >One day before the main snan on Mauni Amavasya (24th) one mahant

named >Ramananda Puri from the Niranjani Akhara came to visit us. We had met

him at >the very beginning at the allottment office when we were trying to get

our >plot. He told how he stayed with Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan for 5 days.

He >wanted a set of Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavatam in Hindi. We told we didn't

have >one but could arange it. While were were talking, Sarvabhauma expressed

his >sorrow at not being able to walk to the Sangam as he is grossly

overweight. >Ramananda Puri asked if we had a tractor and we said yes. SO he

said to bring >our tractor and trolley and we could come with their procession.

(Since last >Mela, they don't allow elephants for fear of them going rampant and

crushing >villagers so the mahants ride on thrones mounted on tractor trolleys.)

> >This was a chance of a lifetime to ride in the procession all by the mercy of

>Prabhupada's books. So next morning we put some cloth around to decorate our

>trolley and drove down to Niranjani Akhara. The police almost stopped us since

>no vehicles are allowed but when they saw it was us they waved us on through

>to >the Niranjani camp. The mahant met us and gave us a couple of dozen

garlands >to >decorate our trolley. > >Since the night before a heavy wind is

blowing. Niranjani Akhara is second in >the procession which starts at 5 am.

We're to leave around 6. I went outside >to >watch. The first Akhara is

starting. There are dozens of sadhus dressed in >orange, with orange turbans in

front. Many of them carry huge velvet flags >with >gold embroidered ensignias.

There are hundreds of other small colorful flags >that are rippling in the

strong wind. Behind these are hundreds of naked Naga >Babas smeared with ash.

Then the mahants riding on their silver thrones in the >tactor trolleys. >

>Finally we get our turn. Our trolley is bringing up the rear. Ahead of us is

>one Japanese lady yogi who sat in samadhi in an underground cave for 3 days

>with a few of her followers sitting around her. Millions of people are behind

>barricades watching the spectacle and mounted police are shooing them out of

>the road and making sure one akhara doesn't meet the other as there have been

>fights due to rivarly. > >Since few days the temperature at night has warmed

up considerably, but now >this wind is making it quite cold. The sun is just

rising as we start. >Sarvabhauma is so huge, people think he's a big mahant and

are making prananms >to us. Everyone is shouting, "Ganga Meiya ki Jaya!" We rode

in the royal >procession down to the Sangam. They have a small section fenced

off only for >the Akharas while most of the area is for pilgrims who appear

just like so >many >millions of ants. At the end the all the tractors now race

to the Sangam. All >the sadhus run shouting into the water. > >The water is so

cold. And then you get out of the water and the wind is >blowing. The sun is a

huge orange ball glowing through the dust raised by the >wind to the east.

Bathing is so exhilarating. Ganga carries so much sand with >her that it is

hardly calf deep water, but after walking some distance there >is >water up to

the thighs in one place. You have to sit to dip completely under. >When you get

out the wind makes you shiver like a leaf. We're completely dry >by >the time we

reach our tractor because of the wind. The police and mahants who >control the

posssession are anxious to get us out as each group has 40 min. at >the Sangam.

Next is coming the biggest and most fearful Juna Akhara who are >enemies of the

Nirajani Akhara. > >Finally all the procession is on the pontoon bridge. What a

sight with all the >red flags blowing in the brisk breeze. We're at the last so

we can see the >Juna >Akhara come. First huge flags come with orange sadhus.

Behind are literally >thousands of naked Naga Babas. The police have cleared

the sadhus' snana area >of all stray pilgrims, it is mysteriously empty while

everywhere else you can >hardly see a free space. Satisfied that everything is

clear, thousands of Naga >Babas charge pell mell waving their arms in the air,

shaking their tridents, >dancing and shouting, "Har! Har! Mahadeeeeeeeev!" Then

we're on to the pontoon >bridge which is quite low and out of the wind. We

finally stop shivering. >Recognizing us people are shouting Hare Krishna!. >

>When I got back it was almost 11 am time to take out our Harer Nam procession.

>No time even to eat. Almost everyone has gone on his own, but still I got a

>hundred devotees together including Vrindavan Chandra De, Prabhupada's

>youngest >son and Prabhupada's granddaughter. We cannot take the rath today as

only >pedestrians are permitted on the pontoon bridges. > >Near our camp is

bridge no. 8 which is not on a main road, but still thousands >of people have

found their way there. We come almost to a dead stop as it is >like a funnel. I

know once we get on the bridge it will be alright. It is a >tight squeeze, we're

playing the kartals over our head. Finally we are pushed >through and then

easily we cross and parade down to the Sangam. Everyone takes >bath and I watch

the clothes belongings, then someone comes back and gives me >a >gamcha and I go

for my second snana. When everyone is back we go very easily >back with Harer

Nam to our camp arriving just in time for hot prasadam which >is >welcome after

the cold snan in the wind. Everyone is joyful and happy. 25 >million people took

bath with hardly an incident. > >In the evening the Gaura Arti is packed with

Lokanatha Maharaj leading and >hundreds of pilgrims throwing their hands in the

air and dancing. Such a huge >rush through the camp it is astonishing. Members

are giving away blankets and >jackets to all the devotees. Kumbha Mela Ki Jaya.

We're here in the sand, sky >and the sun til Feb 8th so come join the nectar. >

>In service to Sri Sri Krishna Balaram, >Deena Bandhu dasa Get your FREE

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