Ujjain Mela - An Exciting Experience

[Guest guest]

Please add picture of Abinanadan Prabhu to his article.

Thank you

Your servant

Panca-pandava dasa

 

 

 

 

Ujjain Mela - An Exciting Experience

By Srivas Das, Ghana, West Africa, 8th April 2004

 

After arriving in the holy city of Ujjain from Ahmadabad with Abinandan

Prabhu, it took us eight good hours of driving around in an auto rickshaw to

locate the ISKCON camp.

 

The camping site, which is said to cover an area of thirty square

kilometres, is dotted with uncountable colourful tents of different

spiritual groups and asrams, ranging from impersonalists to personalists,

and from Saivites to Vaisnavas.

 

It is a common sight that everywhere you turn, one is greeted by the milling

crowds of sadhus and pilgrims. Most of the sadhus who keep long beards are

robed in flowing orange clothes, while others, the Naga Babas go about care

freely in the garb from their mothers' womb - naked.

 

The climax of the festival was April 5th; the first of the Royal bathing

days, there was an enthusiastic parade of the different Mahants and their

followers, riding on decorated jeeps, trucks and elephants. Yet some

preferred to walk.

 

The residents of Ujjain and the numerous pilgrims lined the streets of the

city to offer their pranams as well as feast their eyes on the array of

gurus and sadhus milling through the city to the bathing ghats, amidst

blurring brass band music. The Vaisnavas were assigned the Rama Ghat. As one

approaches the bathing ghat one prepares for a dip, which lasts only a few

minutes, in order to give way to others in the queue.

 

It was not only exciting to have a dip, but to witness thousands, if not

millions, of other pilgrims happily have a dip in the holy waters of the

Shipra River at such an auspicious moment - it was a spectacular and

memorable moment in my life.