MahaKumbh Mela 2013 - Prayag
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| Massive mass of people compromising of toddlers, young, old, disabled, weak and infirm from all strata of Hindus and the believers of Hindu faith. |
As a practice I have been pretty irregular with my posting of blogs. There is a draft lying from a visit of mine to Mussoorie on one of those old school reunions. This time around it was with spouses. There was another one of those Mussoorie visits in between I had been to Pushkar Fair, a trip to Jaisalmer & Jodhpur this recent Mahakumbh Mela (Fair) in Allahabad. There is always a back log of images for editing that require to be added to the blogs. So these never get written to be posted.
I had shared most of these images shot at Mahakumbh in FaceBook, Flickr and some other platforms. These being handy so thought of giving a short write up before attending to the draft.
I had missed the last Mahakumbh that was planned with Pavan of Mahatta & Co. Connaught Place, but due to demise of a relative it was cancelled at the very last moment. Of course status of the legs was much better and these were more sturdy than I believe are now :) That time no thoughts crossed, at least my mind, about staying arrangements, but this time there was a big question mark about the place of stay.
There has always been a kind of grumbling from Her Highness when ever I go for photography trip though quite a few happened in the last two years but even not that many to be feeling bad about. I have to keep it separately from holiday trips with my spouse and purely photography trip as she gets into a very relaxing mood. Those odd hours and covering distances are out of question and it is really frustrating.
Any way she casually mentioned to my younger sister about my desire to go for a shoot at the Mahakumbh, and luckily she remembered one of her relatives who have been setting up a camp since 1995 on such holy bathing occasions. My sister called up Allahabad and also I talked to Ms. Mamta about the situation there. She was so very happy to know my program, insisted dada come and I will enjoy the whole atmosphere. She mentioned the camp was not like a hotel but it is simple and decent. Well on photography trips we all have to accommodate in available conditions. This firmed up my mind to reach Allahabad before their day of winding up the camp affairs on 16th. of February, 2013.
Train was a cheaper option to travel with so many trains reaching or passing through Allahabad. The trains were fully booked. Tried for train tickets through contacts with out success. There is no direct Volvo bus service to Allahabad but connecting for Lucknow or Kanpur, otherwise I would have opted for the same. Looked at flights but what ever flights were going to Allahabad had hiked the fares to the extremes. Hiring private taxi to Allahabad and back I was still saving quite a few thousand rupees of if I took including a return flight.
I like a like minded photographer or photography enthusiast for company of. It was 5th. or 6th February, if not mistaken when this travel started taking shape. Talked with two old photographer friends but they had some pressing engagements on the days I planned to travel so to be able to avail of the camp since they were winding up by 16th February. Three to four for company also helps all in savings through sharing. I also called up Pavan Mehta of Mahatta & Co. as with whom the last trip was planned. I told him arrangements for the stay were in order. He was a game for the trip.
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| Pavan Mehta |
Mauni Amavasya was on 10th it was one of the most auspicious days for a dip in the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical river Saraswati expecting millions of people were expected to take the holy bath on this day. Keeping in mind this we decided to leave on 8th as we were also advised to come a day or so early before the main days of the holy bath. His cousin Runjiv Kapur from Daraslam was in Mumbai for some work who when came to know about the trip he left all his work and reached Delhi by 7th and on the 8th we left early morning by a private taxi for Allahabad. It was very a long drive of roughly 600 plus kilometers from Delhi to Allahabad.
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| Runjiv Kapur |
We reached some time late in the evening to the temple Shirdi Dham in Civil Lines, Allahabad as from there we were to be accompanied or guided to the camp on the banks of the rivers. Every photography trip always has its chapter of excitement. It was more here knowing we would be in a massive mass of humanity. I have no positive memory of my having stayed in one of the camps/tents.
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| Runjiv Kapur |
We were guided to the camp site. The Allahabad roads were very clean and had very organised traffic though it became quite a mess just at the entry point as each one was in a great hurry. Still the police did a great work. Our car crawled through the lanes with multi vehicular traffic and the walking crowd. Then on the banks it was more peoples crowd on the make shift roads with big iron sheets used similarly by army in tough sandy terrains for vehicle movement. There was an unending flow of people of ages in and out of the massive grounds.
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| Facade of the Shirdi Dham Camp at sun down |
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| Ms. Mamta who was on her feet looking after the arrangements and comforts of the campers. |
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| Mamta ji with a co-trustee |
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| Mamta ji with a co-trustee |
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| Mamta ji with a co-trustee |
At last we reached the camp and our car was ushered with in it for parking. There was a very warm reception for us. Mamta ji asked if there was any problem sleeping on the floor, where we had no problems but I do not know, as we were guided to dinner area, from where she managed to spare 3 cots for us. The arrangements were full with beddings and quilts to ward off the cold. It was very cold during those days and much colder in the dry river bed that was surrounded by water bodies. There was enough fog as well and visibility further compounded by smoke from bonfires people had setup to ward off the cold as they slept in the open.
It was a long day sitting in the vehicle and stretching out on the bed was very comforting. We planned to get up early so that we could be out by 6 in the morning.
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| Can one ever get away from the worldly possessions? |
I generally like to travel as light as possible with my photographic gear though this time I was carrying my Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8, portable Vivitar 3200 flash unit bought on the eve of the departure for Rs. 850/- and had fished out a portable flash bracket that I used quite a lot during my stay in Germany. I had bought myself a Hako portable flash and Hako DC radio trigger set for a shoot in Gwalior where I avoided carrying studio lights and stands in a train. Before sleeping I tested the system for off camera flash fills I was planning to use when out shooting. After 4 to 5 bursts the triggers stopped communicating and the flash could not be used since I was not in favor of using flash head on. Quite disappointing it was to bear this failure. I had taken a tripod but to avoid carrying weight, it remained in the tent. I had to resort to higher ISOs for low light situations.
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| Ranjeev's face hidden behind the camera and Pavan |
The first day out at least I was fully covered with woollens as it was very cold. As with the sun rising higher in the sky, it got warmer and warmer, I would say it was hot and the woollens were now uncomfortable. The small bag could not accommodate the sweater, muffler, cap and the coat so the coat remained while I could stuff the other clothes in the bag. There were hardly any benches to sit. It was just walking, walking and walking.
The make shift roads were made one way for movement to control the flow of this immense mass of humanity gathered on the very very large space of river banks where the water had receded.
I do believe there is more info about Mahakumbh, its origins, Akhadas, the pilgrims, etc. in various books, write ups found on the internet. I would like to share visuals more in this blog. There are still many images not even edited but still enough to share in here.
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| Blowing a trumpet |
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| Naga Sadhus' procession |
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| Portrait of a sadhu |
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| Drying of clothes |
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| Chandan paste on the forehead |
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| Young and old ladies reaching for a holy dip in the rivers |
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| Interesting face with white hairs |
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| Young boy |
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| Mobiles have been a boon in helping to keep touch with friends and family |
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| An old lady |
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| Portrait of man |
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| Portait of a man |
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| Man selling sindhoor |
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| Faith has no limits |
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| Faith |
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| A sadhu |
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| Drying of sarees and dhoti while some guy lay there playing some kind of drums |
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| Liked her intense looks so captured her in the frame |
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| After the holy bath |
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| There hundreds of such smal camps of sadhus |
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| Naga Sadhu |
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| Naga Sadhu |
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| Faith: Her failing health did not deter her to make to the Mahakumbh |
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| Drying of dhoti and saree |
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| Drying of saree in this way was a very common sight |
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| At the ghats of Sangam |
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| At the ghat of Sangam |
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| Relaxing after having gone through the ordeal of reaching the ghat and taking a holy dip |
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| The holy dip |
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| The holy dip |
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| Having a holy dip was not in his mind, know not what he was searching |
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| Early morning prayers by the faithfuls |
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| It was a dangerous spot with a big rectangular opening and round the corner were valves with out the wheels |
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| Many ladies had fallen in this rectangular pit perhaps they had shock or minor injuries |
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| This was a point where many could have died with waves of people pushing to reach their destination - the banks for a holy bath |
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| The lady Naga sadhvi |
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| Portrait of The lady Naga sadhvi |
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| The lady Naga sadhvi |
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| The lady Naga sadhvi |
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| The lady Naga sadhvi. She surely is a foreigner who has dedicated her life to this life |
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| The lady Naga sadhvi |
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| The lady Naga sadhvi |
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| Procession of sadhus moving towards the Sangam ghat |
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| Procession of sadhus moving towards the Sangam ghat |
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| Reflections in the chrome portion of a rear side view mirror of a SUV |
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| The Naga Sadhus |
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| People having their holy bath |
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| People having their holy bath |
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| People having their holy bath |
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| People having their holy bath |
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| People having their holy bath |
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| People having their holy bath |
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| The live BSP symbol outside official Samajwadi Party presence in the mela |
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| Portrait |
On 11th we returned starting around 5 in the morning and reaching around 7ish in the evening with tired legs, no shaving for 3 days at a stretch. It was really a great experience at the Mahakumbh Mela (Fair) or the spiritual fair.
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| On our way back, we could not find time and mood to shave. Self portrait taken with Samsung Note II mobile phone . |
