Meeting religious devotees… at the Kumbh Mela
“I’ve been standing for nine years.” The weary sadhu spoke softly as he shifted his weight from one distressingly swollen foot to another. I watched him readjust the weight of his forearms and torso onto a swing suspended from the marquee to ease the strain from his legs. This angular, dreadlocked man had voluntarily sentenced himself to stand for 12 years, not sitting or lying down even to sleep. As I stood listening, I could only form one question in my bewildered western mind: “Why?”


The Sangam Confluence, Kumbh Mela


Man selling coloured powder for bindhis at the Kumbh Mela
The next morning, we made our way to the riverbank amid a parade of pilgrims and sadhus cloaked in orange. Orange is the sacred colour of Hinduism and connotes purity and knowledge. It is worn to symbolise a quest for light and the burning of impurities in fire. We rowed across the water on a little wooden boat to the Sangam, a shallow confluence where the Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati meet. Alongside hundreds of others, we stepped from the boat onto a wooden pontoon. Despite the chaos of the crowd, the ritual flowed in an organised manner. We waded out into the chilly waters until we were waist-high. After submerging ourselves fully three times – three being a sacred number for many religions, including Hinduism – I took a moment to look around at the spectacle.
Bathing at the confluence
A curious dance of dunking pilgrims and chanting sadhus throwing water over their bodies surrounded us. The general effect was somewhat kaleidoscopic. Fragments of limbs, bobbing heads and rippling water created a hypnotic spectacle that was difficult to draw your eyes from. Clambering our way through the crowds, slowed by the weight of our sodden clothes, felt like surfacing from a surreal dream. Despite being tourists in a religious gathering, we had been welcomed, blessed, educated and accepted amongst this congregation of devoted strangers. I had an overwhelming sense of inclusion and belonging. We travelled back across the Ganga inhaling the smell of incense and frying spices, while watching the bathers dipping into the water. As we floated along, I thought back to the Standing Baba and his imparted wisdom: “We all navigate our own spiritual paths in life, but we remain reflections of the same universe in miniature. We are all one.”
Sunset over the Ganga river at the Kumbh Mela
While I lacked the sudden urge to pledge my body to the divine and sleep standing for 12 years, I felt I understood his words more profoundly after taking part in the bathing ritual. The Kumbh had served as a colourful reminder to me that no matter how different our lives are, we are all bathing in the same proverbial waters. We are all connected by our simple ability to exist, whether we choose to roam naked in search of enlightenment or travel across continents to broaden our horizons. Smaller Mela festivals are held every three years, while the Kumbh Mela is held every six years and the Maha Kumbh every 12 years. Cox & Kings will be organising holidays to the next Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in 2022. Alternatively, our India experts can organise a tailor-made holiday to India. Share:
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