Kumbha Mela 2001

[Guest guest]

Kumbha Mela is held in Allahabad every 12 years. It also takes place in three other holy places in India every 12 years - Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. The time for Kumbha-mela is judged by the astrological positions of Jupiter and the Sun. In Prayag (Allahabad) the Kumbha-mela takes place during January-February, when Jupiter is in Taurus and the Sun enters Capricorn. The Kumbha-mela in Prayag (Allahabad) is considered especially auspicious. This very interesting event draws about 15 million people and is the largest attended event in the world. I am writing this section as an update of my India book published by Spiritual Guides.

 

A huge temporary city is created for the millions of pilgrims that arrive for the most auspicious bathing days. Kumbha Mela is like a Yogi Convention, where yogis, sadhus (saints), holy people, and pilgrims come from all over India. Many sadhus come from various holy places, the most remote forests, and mountain caves in the Himalayas. The most famous are the Naga Babas, who are completely naked. They cover their bodies only with ash and wear their hair in dreadlocks.

 

It is said to bathe at the Sangam of the Ganges, Yamuna and underground Saraswati during the main bathing days during Kumbha Mela that one attains liberations. In the Vishnu Purana it says that one get a great benefit from bathing during Kumbha Mela than performing 1,000 Ashwamedha Yajnas (horse sacrifices) or circumambulating the earth 100,0000 times. It is said that by bathing at Kumbha Mela that all of one sin are washed away and that 88 generations of ancestors are benefited.

 

The main bathing days are known as Shahi Snans or Royal Bathing Days. The main bathing day, when the most people come, is on January 24, on the Mauni Amavasya day (the dark moon), when over 10 million people are expected to bathe. The next main day or Shahi Snan is said to be on Basant Panchami (fifth day of the new moon), January 29. I went to the Kumbha Mela for the important bathing day of Maha Sankranti on January 14th, 20001 (when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn), which is supposed to be the third major bathing day (Shahi Snan) of Kumbha Mela. On this day it is said that around five million people bathed. The festival began on January 9th on Paush Purnima (full moon). The two other main days are Magha Purnima (full moon) on February 8th and Maha Sivaratri (appearance day of Lord Siva) on February 21.

 

On the most auspicious bathing days there is a big parade, and the bathing order is very strictly observed. Not only are there especially auspicious days, but also there are especially auspicious times of the day to bathe, and people are willing to die to bathe at the most auspicious time. The first to enter the water are the Naga Babas, who arrive dancing with enthusiasm. Then each different religious group enters the water in a prearranged order.

 

The Kumbha Mela or Sangam (where the three rivers meet) site is around 5km (3 miles) east of the main part of the city of Allahabad. At this point the Ganges flows from the northeast and meets the Yamuna, which comes from the east (or southeast). To the west of the Ganges and north of the Yamuna is a basically empty piece land for the large crowds of people to walk to the Sangam. The main camp where the many different religious groups and ashrams are located is on the other side of the Ganges, the east bank, from the city of Allahabad. This area goes for about 3km from east to west and 6 km from north to south, so it is very huge.

 

Depending on the day there are said to be more auspicious and proper times to bathe. The proper times are set by the position of the moon on the Shahi Snan (royal bathing) or main bathing days except for Maha Sankranti on January 14th, which is set by the Sun. The Nagas bathe at the beginning of the most auspicious time. It is difficult to get the exact bathing time too far in advance, as it seems several people are consulted in reference to what the exact time is. I was told by someone that I considered being an authorized source that on January 14th you could bathe at any time, because on this day the timing was set by the sun and not by the moon.

 

On Maha Sankranti, January 14, 2001, the main Sadhu Procession called the Shahi (Royal) March began at 3 am and took about two hours to reach the other side of the Ganges and the Sangam, a distance of around 2km. During the possession the various akharas (sects) walk, while the main Mahantas (leaders) sits on a cart and is carried to the Sangam. The procession started in the Main Kumbha Mela campsite on the eastern bank of the Ganges and then crossed the Ganges by bridge and then ended at the Sangam at the place that was reserved for the Sadhus.

 

The first persons to bathe are the Nagas, who charged into the Sangam chanting Har Har Gange, Jai Maa Ganga and Har Har Mahadeva while swinging swords, trident, and axes. There are 13 main akharas or branches of Nagas, who each march in their own group and bathe at different times. The first group, which bathed at 5 am, was the Nirvani, who traditionally begin the procession. They were followed by the Nivani and Juna Akharasa. These three group form the Sannyasi sect. The next group to follow is the Vairagi sect, which is formed of the Digambar, Nirvani and Nirmhi Akharas. Next was the Udasin sect, which is formed of the Bada Panchayati, Naya Panchayati and the Nirmal Akharas. After the Nagas bathe the other main religious group bathe headed by the main Sankaracarya. Then in order the many other groups first parade and then bathe in the Sangam. The parade ended at around 4 pm, after which time any one could bath in the main Sangam area.

 

The main area of the Sangam is roped off and only Sadhus are allowed to bathe there until 4 pm. Everyone else has to bathe about 100m to the side. But at this place it is possible walk out to the actual Sangam where the Ganges and Yamuna meet, because the water was only about half a metre (11Ž2 ft) deep. The water is so shallow that it is possible to wade out to the island in the middle of the Sangam. Besides bathing at the main Sangam area many devotees bathed on the eastern bank of the river where the merged Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati is located. This is where the main group of ISKCON devotees bathed.

 

Also it is possible to take a boat out to the main area of the Sangam. The boats mainly depart from the area to the west (to your right as you face the Sangam) of the Sangam, near the Allahabad fort. If you want to take a boat by yourself expect to pay a high price. Depending on the time and when you get the boat, you may be asked for 300 rupees or more. Many of the boats are reserved and the police were keeping a tight control of where on the bank the boats could park and where they could go on the river. I was told that it was difficult to get a boat early in the morning. You might have to get a boat on the other side of the Allahabad fort at Saraswati Ghat. Taking a boat has a great advantage in that you can go to the actual place with the three rivers meet. I took a boat around 4 pm and then parked on an island in the middle of the river at the supposed place of the Sangam. I then took bathe and was able to get some good pictures of the people bathing at the Sangam. It was an extremely ecstatic event and is highly recommended.

 

Except for the main bathing days there is not much happening in the main site. One thing that is unusual in India is that the site is kept very clean. It was a bit like an amusement park in America; where there were people constantly picking up trash thrown on the ground and people were constantly sweeping the site.

 

The main happening places according to the media were the ISKCON site and a few of the camps where Krishna-lila dramas took place. I was told that at one place where Krishna-lila was performed about 5,000 people a night would come. A major attraction of the festival for many people was the Nagas Babas camps. One of the most visited sites is the Panch Agni Juna Akhada, which is a monastic order of ascetics, who sit around naked in public. I sat with some Nagar Babas and they were really friendly. One Naga had his hand up for years (supposedly for 27 years). His name was Baba Amar Bharti Urdh Babu. >From having his hand in the air for so long his hand was a bit withered and his nails were long in a deformed way.

 

The main ISKCON site was quite impressive. It was fairly basic with a fairly small pandal tent, some well displayed dioramas, and the Padayatra cart, which had Gaura-Nitai Deities. During the busy times there was a devotee in front of each of the diorama exhibits preaching sometimes to ten people at one time about the glories of chanting Hare Krishna. Some of the devotees were teaching the enthusiastic crowds how to chant japa. Many books were being distributed with different tables set up around the Mela. Thousands, and maybe tens of thousands on some days, of people each day were visiting the site. Also an ecstatic sankirtana party would go out two times a day. >From January 9th to January 14th the sankirtana party went out with 100 Manipur drummers impressively performing in front of the party. I was told it was so impressive that the BBC said that it was the most exciting thing happening on the streets of Kumbha Mela. I was also told that the BBC said that the ISKCON site was the most happening site at the Mela. This was also confirmed by one of the local English newspaper, which said that it was the most visited site at the Mela. The ISKCON camp is located in Sector 6, Plot No. 8 Shankaracharya Marg, next to the railway bridge. To get to the site you go over one of the bridges that cross the Ganges and get on the main road going east-west across the Kumbha site. This road is close to the large road bridge that crosses the Ganges. You then walk on this road away from the Ganges and make a left at the first major road that goes to the left. You then walk north going under the road-bridge and walk about four minutes and the ISKCON site is on your right, right next to the railway bridge. You can ask people as it a popular and well-known site.

 

When I visited the ISKCON site on January 14th I was told that around one thousand devotees were staying at the site. There were supposed luxury tents that were being rented out. This basically meant that you had a private tent with some basic bedding, better security, and access to hot water. Also there were free dormitory facilities for the devotees to stay in. The devotee prasada was excellent when I ate it. It was basically a feast of rice, dhal, two subji, puris and halava. It was one of the better meals I had in India. My opinion might have been influenced by the fact that I had been walking around the site for five hours and hadn't eaten all day, but without a doubt the prasad was very good.

 

One of the most impressive things about the ISKCON site was the Food for Life program that was taking place. It was being enthusiastically and expertly organized by Bhima Dasa, the Mumbai temple president and Rupa Raghunatha, who heads the Food for Life program in Vrindavana. According to Rupa Raghunatha around three to four thousand people were being fed each day. The amount of people being fed on certain days was limited because of the problem of getting enough bhoga, as it was difficult to purchase ingredients. I was told that over ten thousand people were fed on the main bath day of Maha Sankranti on January 14th.

 

There is another site set up by the Calcutta and Bangalore temples, which has a five-storey diorama of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda and also a huge temple was being built. As of January 14th regrettably construction of their site was not completed so not that many people were visiting the site.

 

Some practical information about Kumbha Mela is that the eating facilities at the Mela are not very good. Except if you are staying in a tent connected to some religious group or ashrama, there is nothing but simple snacks to eat. I did not see a place that even resembled a dhaba, let alone a restaurant. I was told that the ISKCON site had a small snack place, but the three times I went there it was not open. The quality of snacks and street food is extremely low around the Kumbha site. The only thing I could really find to eat was peanuts. I did not even see a place selling fruits and I walked around for about 10 hours looking.

 

It is important to note that how you deal with the practical part of travel and accommodation can greatly affect your opinion of the entire Kumbha Mela experience. I had a great time and considered it to be an experience not to be missed, while other people though it was terrible. This is also true of a general trip around India, which is why I would highly suggest to the reader that if they are traveling around India that they pick up the book I wrote called India published by Spiritual Guides, as it is certain to make your trip more pleasant. You can check out the web site www.spiritualguides.net (not until February 1, 2001) to see the book.

 

There are some pure vegetarian restaurants in the town of Allahabad. One good one is Puruhit Restaurant, which is about a ten-minute walk for the railway station on Leader Road. Its name is in Hindi, but the building is easy to recognize because it has a fancy brown carved-like exterior. There are also several vegetarian restaurants across from the main entrance of the railway station (not the Civil Line side). I found the A/C Classic Vegetarian Restaurant to be good. They had no problem cooking the food without onions and chili and the service was quick and pleasant. Also near the train stations are several fruits stands.

 

Except for the main bathing days it should not be so hard to find a place to stay at the Kumbha Mela site. On the main days, especially the main day on January 24th, the facilities are quite crowded.

 

If you are looking for a place to stay, if you are a member of ISKCON you can stay at the camp there. It seems that they were letting the devotees stay for free in basic facilities and devotees had to pay for the more private and better facility tents.

 

There are not many facilities to actually stay at the Kumbha Mela site, unless you have a connection with a religious group or ashram. I know of people that had some connections with some ashrams and were given very nice facilities. I believe that helped them to have a better experience at the Mela.

 

If you are just arriving at the Kumbha Mela site you might have to look for hours to find a place to stay near the main bathing days (a day before and after. It may be possible to stay at some camps, but I would highly suggest if you plan to go this route that you arrange things in advance. Other then the main bathing days it should be fairly easy to find a place to stay at the Main Camp.

 

There were some luxury tents being sold off as luxury hotel-type facilities with toilets, hot water and nice tents. But many complains came from the sadhus about this place, especially when there was rumors that non-vegetarian food and alcohol was being served. Many sadhus protested that Kumbha-Mela was a religious festival and that it was a place for austerities and not for material enjoyment. There were some rumors that these fancy hotel facilities would be closed down.

 

When I arrived in Allahabad on January 12, two day before the main day of Maha Sankranti of January 14, I walked across the street and got a hotel right across from the railway station. It cost me Rs 350 for a single room with hot water. It was a basic place, but clean enough. Other basic places were usually charging from Rs 500 to Rs 1000. The more upscale places were charging pretty much their normal rate, plus maybe Rs 100 or Rs 200 added on. A list of possible hotels to stay at is included below. I did not reserve anything in advance and when I arrived two days early for a major bathing day, most of the hotels near the railway station had rooms available. When I visited about ten hotels on January 15, most of them told me they were totally booked from January 23 to 25, which are the main days of the Mela.

 

My observation is that most likely you will be able to find a hotel room if you arrive a few days before a major bathing day, as long as you are willing to spend some money (at least Rs 400 per day, but maybe as much as Rs 1000). There are many hotels near the railway station and with a little walking around it should be possible to find a room. If you do not have good facilities at the main camp area, despite the travel time to the Sangam a hotel is a more sure and comfortable place to stay.

 

One note is that most of the millions of people coming to Kumbha Mela just come for the day. Many of them just bring a blanket with them and just sleep out in the open fields. Literally I saw hundreds of thousands of people just sleeping on the ground.

 

Getting to Allahabad for the Kumbha Mela can be quite a problem, but for me it was relatively easy for traveling in India. I arranged my train ticket a few weeks in advance. I took an overnight train from Delhi, which left at 9:30 pm on the January 11th and arrived at 9 am the next morning, which gave me a good chance to sleep. Because I went by A/C class it was uncrowded. It was a pleasant trip. Coming back to Vrindavana wasn't so easy. I was supposed to get a 1 am in the morning train back, but it was delayed for 8 hours, so it did not depart until around 9 am in the morning. It was a rough night sitting in the railway station waiting for the train, but luckily I met a few devotees also waiting for the train, so I at least had someone to talk to and share the miseries. When I was sitting in the train station, a devotee walked up to me around 7:30 am and told me that he was dropping off a devotee at the station and that Svarupa Damodara Maharaja was still waiting for his train to depart. He told me he had dropped him off at about 9 pm the night before, so it seems like it is normal for trains to be delayed from departing from Allahabad. I took a two-tier A/C car back, which was not crowded at all and was able to sleep on the return trip. I got off the train at Tundla, which is about two hours east of Vrindavana and got a taxi from there for Rs 800, which was the fixed rate shown to us by the supposed official taxi person there.

 

I know of devotees who took an ISKCON arranged bus from Vrindavana for Rs 650 round-trip. The bus left Vrindavana on January 12 at around 10:30 am and arrived at the Allahabad at 5:30 the next morning, taking around 17 hours. This is a really hard trip on a five seat across bus in India. Coming back the bus took almost 24 hours, because there was a flat tire on the way. Also the devotees had to walk around 4km with their things to return to the bus on January 14, as vehicles cannot enter the main Kumbha Mela site on the main bathing days. Another problem with this trip is you don't get to stay for the entire main bathing day, which is the real exciting time to be at Kumbha Mela.

 

I was also told that someone returned to Vrindavana by regular class by train after bathing on the main day and that the train was extremely uncomfortably crowded. Therefore it is suggested if possible to travel to and from Allahabad by a higher-class on a train if possible, as it can be expected that the lower classes will be extremely crowded. On the higher classes there is no problem with any extra crowds on the trains because the extra people are expected to travel by the lower classes on the train, and are not allowed in the higher classes.

 

It is also possible to get a train (very crowded) or bus from Varanasi (31Ž2 hours away) or another nearby city just for the day to come bathing for a major bathing day. If you are coming from Varanasi by train it best to get off the train at the Jhunsi station if you are going to stay of the main Kumbha Mela camp site. If you just want to go to bathe in the Sangam, it is best to get down at the Daraganj railway station, from where it is about a 20-minute walk to the Sangam.

 

Since I stayed near the railway station. I had to travel daily about 5km to get to the Kumbha Mela site. It cost me between Rs 30 and Rs 50 by bike rickshaw, about a 20-minute ride, to get close to the site. Once I got close to the site (as far as the rickshaw was allow to go) I had to walk about 30 minutes to get to the main site on the main day.

 

Friends of mine left from a hotel near the railway station to go to the Kumbha Mela site at around 10 am on Maha Sankranti, January 14th and at that time could not find a rickshaw to bring them to the site. Therefore, they had to walk for about an hour and half to the Kumbha Mela site. This could be a major weakness about not actually staying at the site.

 

On normal days there are tempos (large motor rickshaws), which bring people from the train station to the Kumbha site for Rs 5 per passenger.

 

I would advise one going to Kumbha Mela to bring whatever rupees they would need and not expect it to be that easy to change money at the main Kumbha Mela site. There is a special facility for ATM and changing money run by the Punjab National Bank, which is located on the main road going between the city of Allahabad and the main Kumbha site, but it is not conveniently located. You can also purchase travelers cheques there.

 

One important point is to be especially careful of thief. I know of three people that were robbed at the ISKCON camp. One of the people was robbed when a group of thieves put fiberglass in his shirt and when he reacted to the pain someone stole his bag. Another person had this done to them when they were bathing at the main Sangam site, and lost all his money and passport. Also another trick that happened to people was someone pointed out some money dropped on the ground and asked if it is theirs. When they bend down to pick up the money, they put down their camera bag and the next thing they knew it was gone. I have heard of several people that were robbed in this way.

 

The story of Kumbha Mela is that the demigods (devas) and demons (asuras) once made a truce in order to churn the milk ocean to get the nectar (amrita) of immortality. Lord Vishnu advised the demigods to do this because the demons were becoming too powerful; the demigods were in danger of losing their position to the demons. They used Vasuki, the huge serpent as a rope, and Mandara Mountain as a churning rod.

 

As they were churning the milk ocean thirteen items were produced from the ocean. The first item was a poison (halahala) so strong it could kill all the people on earth. Lord Siva drank it and held it in his throat. The poison turned his throat blue, and since that time, Lord Siva has been known as Nila-kantha, or blue-throated.

 

A shankha (conch shell), surabhi cow, horse named Uccaihsrava, the elephant Airavata, other elephants that could go in any direction, Kaustubha gem, parijata flower, apsara (the most beautiful women), Chandra (the Moon-god), and Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune were also all produced. Then Varuni, the goddess of drinking, appeared.

 

Eventually the physician of the gods, Dhanvantari, who is a partial incarnation of Lord Vishnu, appeared carrying a jug containing the nectar (amrita).

 

The demigods (devas) entrusted the nectar pot (amrita-kalasha) to Brihaspati, Surya, Chandra, and Shani. These demigods ran from the demons with the amrita-kalasha because the demons were powerful enough to steal it for them. When the demons learned of the conspiracy, they became angry and chased the four demigods. The chase lasted twelve days in the life of the demigods (each demigod day is one year of our time), at which time the devas and asuras circled the earth. Drops of nectar fell at Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayag), Ujjain, and Nasik.

 

Another version of the story is that the demons snatched the jug of nectar from Dhanvantari and began to fight among themselves. During the fight, some of the nectar fell at these four places. Kumbha-mela is held in each of these four places every twelve years.

 

Eventually, the demons were able to get the nectar, but they then fought among themselves as to who should have the honor of drinking from the jug first. Suddenly, Mohini (a partial incarnation of Lord Vishnu) appeared as the most beautiful woman in the universe. Bewildered by her beauty, the demons submitted to her and allowed her to decide who would receive the first drop of nectar. She knew that the demons were unfit to drink the nectar. She cheated them and instead distributed it to the demigods.

 

The phone code for Allahabad is 0532. South of the Allahabad Junction Station there many hotels. Hotel Samira has rooms for Rs 300/400 with bath. Hotel Continental (652-629), which is most likely the best of these hotels, has clean basic rooms with bath, which is charging around Rs 1000 a room during Kumbha Mela. 24-hour checkout. Next door, the Hotel Prayag Raj, (653-287, fax 610-405), 151/104 Dr Katju Rd, has decent rooms for Rs 350 to Rs 550. 24-hour checkout. It is a decent place. N Cee (401-166), Leader Rd, south of the railway station, is a good well-managed place. Funara Hotel, Hasting Rd, near the railway station, has a nice small garden, and has good rooms for Rs 1400. It is a well-managed family-run place.

 

Hotel Prayag (656-416; fax 655-596), opposite the railway station, 73 Noonr-Ullan Road is a good place with rooms with bath for Rs 300/350 and Rs 550 with A/C room. Hotel Tepso (623-635), by the railway station, has rooms for Rs 200/250, a deluxe room with bath for Rs 325/350, and an A/C room for Rs 500/550. Hotel Kohinoor (400-033), 10 Noornulla Rd, has nice rooms for Rs 350/400 and with air-cooling for Rs 550/650. It has a garden. Raj Hotel (400-684), 6 Johnstonganj, about a 20-minute walk from the railway station, has rooms with bath for Rs 300/350 and with A/C for Rs 550.

 

Hotel Twins (54554), 53 Leader Road, has rooms for Rs 200/225 with bath and Rs 650/700 with A/C. Hotel Milan (56021), on Leader Road, has rooms with bath and windows in the hall for Rs 500/565 and Rs 640/700 with A/C. Leader Road can be noisy, as it is a busy street.

 

UP Tourist Bungalow (601-440; fax 611-374), 35 MG Marg, Civil Lines, next to the bus station, is a good place to stay as long as you do not get a room on the bus station side or front side of the hotel, as they can be noisy. Good-sized rooms are Rs 450/500 and Rs 950/1050 with A/C. It has dorm beds for Rs 80. For a middle-income hotel, it is recommended. UP Tourism is also arranging Swiss Cottage tents for $25/30. Contact the Tourist Bungalow above for information. You also call UP Tourism in Lucknow at 0522 228-349, 225-165.

 

There are no luxury hotels in town, but there are some nice middle class hotels. Samrat Hotel (420-780; fax 420-785; email hotelsamrat@vsnl.com) is near the intersection of Mahatma Gandhi Rd and Sardar Patel Marg at 49-A Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Civil Lines. It has clean rooms for Rs 1200 and Rs 1400 with A/C.

 

The popular, modern Hotel Yatrik (601-713; fax 601-434), 33 Sardar Patel Marg, Civil Lines, has comfortable rooms for Rs 1100/1300 and Rs 1500/2000 with A/C. It is well-managed, and has a pool and a nice garden. It got good recommendations. 24-hour checkout. The two-star Hotel Allahabad Regency (601-519, 601-735; fax 611-107), 16 Tashkent Marg, Civil Lines, is a well-managed place with a pool, jacuzzi, gym and a good garden. It has comfortable rooms with A/C for Rs 1250/1450 to 1550/1750. It is a peaceful place and is a good value. The comfortable two-star Presidency Hotel (623-308; fax 623-897), 19D SN Marg, is north of Civil Lines in a quiet area. It has modern, clean A/C rooms for Rs 1450/1600. It has a swimming pool and is popular, so it is best to book a room here in advance.

 

The best hotel in town is Hotel Kanha Shyam Allahabad (420-281; 652-7359; email info@kanhashyam.com; web site: http://www.kanhashyam.com), Civil Lines, which has rooms for around Rs 2500 to Rs 3500 during the Kumbha Mela festival. At others times the rooms are Rs 1750 and Rs 2200. It is a first class place with modern Western style rooms.

 

If you would like more information about traveling in India you could pick up my book published by Spiritual Guides called India or check out the Spiritual Guides web site at http://www.spiritualguides.net (starting on February 1, 2001).