“In my search for a deep, rich culture I found three alternatives: Egypt, China and India. Egypt was facing the end of Pan-Arabism; China was bearing the student revolution. But India, it was magnificent! Its centuries old tradition was intact. It was proof of sustainability.”
It was in 1969, when the blue-eyed American yogi, Baba Rampuri, first arrived in India.
He thereafter became the first foreigner to be initiated into India’s most ancient order of yogis and shamans, the militant and nude Naga Babas — known for their quick temper and dreadlocks.
In the wee hours of Monday, his Juna akhara — along with 13 other sects — will march into the icy waters of the Sangam to perform the first of the shahi snans (royal baths). With this will commence the largest human show on earth — the Maha Kumbh Mela, held here every 12 years.
The mega event, estimated to draw around 100 million visitors, including 60,000 foreigners, kicks off with the Makar Sankranti festival.
The Mela administration expects around 1.1 crore pilgrims to bathe on this day.
City of tents
The site for the Mela, the Kumbh Nagri — a city of tents roughly the area of 3,000 football fields — has come together after months of major and minor constructions, tipping Rs. 2,000 crore.
The 55-day Mela will conclude on March 10 with the Maha Shivratri festival.
ADG (Law and Order) Arun Kumar said anti-sabotage squads and the ATS would be deployed at the ghats.
However, the preparations for the first day have been described as “testing waters” for the biggest bathing day of Mauni Amavasya (February 10), estimated to draw almost four crore pilgrims.
Deep water barricading will also be done along the three-km stretch of the ghats, said Mela District Magistrate Mani Prasad Mishra.
Meahwhile, Allahabad City has been converted into a fortress, with restricted vehicle entry and heavy deployment of security forces.
Keywords: Maha Kumbh 2013
"Manual Scavenging" (MS) - It is unbelievable that MS still exists in parts of "Independent India", forcing every conscientious Indian to bow his head in shame. There is no use blaming the politicians and people in power for this most disgraceful state of affairs. After all we elect them time and again. Our priorities and ideas of reforms are all lop sided. We have collectively failed to provide the sheer basic amenities like public toilets and clean drinking water to half the population, even after more than six decades of "Independence". This becomes all the more glaring when one visits the most populous country like China, where people may not be enjoying all the "Freedom", which we more often than not, misuse, in the name of "Democracy", but their women folk have the luxury of privacy of defecation.
Mahakumbh was witnessed by the American Traveler Mark Twain. He said
"“ It is wondeful, the power of faith like that, can make multitudes
upon multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter
without hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and
endure the resultant miseries without repining. It is done in love or
done in fear: I do not know which it is. No matter what the impulse
is, the act born of it is beyond imagination, marvelous to our kind of
people, the cold whites.". I visited Mahakumbh decades ago. I just
cannot forget it. I found it as one magnificent expression immense
gratitude and of oneness with nature. Long Live Mahakumbh.
This is really a lifetime experience of humanity all around you. the
chance to meet sadhus who are worshiping alone since years and see the
people with aim of meeting god. unfortunately i have not gone there even
once. i wish i could go this time.
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