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MAHA KUMBH MELA 2013
A contingent of 8 students and 2 teachers visited the Kumbh Mela, at Allahabad this year. Perhaps we have led the way by being the pioneering group of High School Students anywhere in the world, and it was indeed a super success. We started off our first day from the Maharishi Sadafal Deo Ashram in Jhunsi to embark on our spiritual adventure. To begin with, we explored the area outside our ashram and tested the pH value of the Ganga before booking a boat ride to go to the confluence of the Rivers Ganga and Yamuna. We went on a serene boat journey even as some of us drank the holy water (Ganga Jal) from the Ganga. We tested the pH value of the Sangam and it was much lower compared to the value we had tested before. We felt powerful vibrations that filled the air when we were in the presence of the Naga Sadhus. It was intriguing to learn about their strong religious beliefs and extreme lifestyles. The mela was filled with vibrant colours, devotees and thousands of common people hoping to cleanse their souls by bathing in the Ganga. We went to numerous stalls and interviewed different kinds of people about their personal Kumbh Mela experience.
We went to the ashram where we were personally introduced to Swami Avdheshanandji who is the spiritual head of the largest and most ancient order of saints in India, the Shri Panchdasnam Juna Akhara. At the Sangam, there was a huge gathering of people waiting for the “aarti” at the Ghats which were thronged by many religious leaders of repute and a sizeable group of foreigners, who also presented a skit on the fragility of the environmental conditions in the Ganga, which is the epitome of purity for not only Indians but for people from all over the world. They stressed upon environmental preservation of the Ganga waters through their presentation and short speeches. We also saw the ‘Ras Leela’ which essays the life and times of Lord Krishna, in South Jhunsi in the Karshni Tableau. It is interesting to note that this performance is enacted by an all-male cast, even to portray the female characters in the Ras Leela.
On our second day at the Maha Kumbh we woke up to a clear sky, shining sun and a heady cacophony of chants and prayers creating a fete-like ambience, where millions have congregated to understand their ‘raison d’etre’. We were looking forward to the most-awaited dip in the Holy Ganga called a ‘snan’, which is either a usual one or a ‘shahi’ one, like the one on “Mauni Amavasya” which occurs once every 144 years as this is a day which has unique planetary positions. It is estimated that a record number of pilgrims, approximately 3 to 6 crores took this dip during the Kumbh this year!
After a quick, Spartan breakfast we headed for the Triveni Sangam (the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati) on our boat. The boatman, Pancham Lal, who was by now a friend in the vast sea of humanity at Kumbh, steered us in the right direction. The first dip itself was enough to send a chill down one’s spine. And that was the moment of truth, when we truly awakened: all our senses came alive! After the peaceful and rejuvenating dip, everyone joined their hands to pray for wisdom, peace and happiness for themselves and everyone on the planet.
After a sumptuous meal at the Sadafaldeo Ashram, we went to explore the city of Allahabad. We visited Ananda Bhavan, where our Former Prime Minister, J. L. Nehru, was born.We also explored the Sacred Church for Protestants, the oldest in U.P. which was built in 1871. The High courts of Allahabad and its street food were on our tour list.On the third day we had no agenda; we were going with the flow. We walked down the streets of the Mela, explored different parts of it and created many memories through photographs too. It was indeed the greatest experience of our life to eat freshly made “khichdi” which was offered by a Good Samaritan who had been preparing a sumptuous afternoon meal for all pilgrims.
After leaving the mela, we headed towards the District Magistrate’s office which was situated in the middle of the city. It was inspiring to interact with the District Magistrate of Allahabad, who is a young and dynamic IAS officer from Karnataka from the UP cadre, and has served various districts like Unnao and Bhadoi in U.P. before coming to Allahabad District recently.The penultimate experience on this trip was the eternal wait for the Garib Rath express which ended up being 6 hours behind schedule, and our contingent spent an entire night on the platform of Allahabad Junction waiting eagerly for the dawn and the train! This will forever be etched in our memories as a powerful experience of resilience.
We are indeed back with “the experience of a lifetime!”A more well travelled, worldly-wise and spiritually-tuned Pathwazian returns home after a life-changing Kumbh Mela!
Thank you, Pathways, especially Dr. Sarvesh Naidu and Mr. Arvind Chalasani in believing in us, Mr. Trishu Kareer and Mr. Manish Amin of Yatra.com for making our stay comfortable and safe; Mrs. Manju Singhania for our personal interaction with Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avdeshanandji of the Juna Akhara; Mr. and Ms. Rastogi for our local stay and travel in the city from the city of Allahabad; Mr. Raj Sekhar I.A.S, the DM of Allahabad for an enriching interaction; Ms. Garima Khemka and Joseph John from the administration for expediting the booking procedures which actually made this trip happen.
Finally, we would like to thank the leading teachers, Ms. Bhagirathy Jhingran and Mr. Guru Charan Kumar, who came up with this proposal and ensured that this would be a landmark journey in our young lives as Senior School students.
Text: Emaanat Singh, Ayushi Aggarwal, Pia Hazarika and Kanika Chachera, Grade 11
We went to the ashram where we were personally introduced to Swami Avdheshanandji who is the spiritual head of the largest and most ancient order of saints in India, the Shri Panchdasnam Juna Akhara. At the Sangam, there was a huge gathering of people waiting for the “aarti” at the Ghats which were thronged by many religious leaders of repute and a sizeable group of foreigners, who also presented a skit on the fragility of the environmental conditions in the Ganga, which is the epitome of purity for not only Indians but for people from all over the world. They stressed upon environmental preservation of the Ganga waters through their presentation and short speeches. We also saw the ‘Ras Leela’ which essays the life and times of Lord Krishna, in South Jhunsi in the Karshni Tableau. It is interesting to note that this performance is enacted by an all-male cast, even to portray the female characters in the Ras Leela.
On our second day at the Maha Kumbh we woke up to a clear sky, shining sun and a heady cacophony of chants and prayers creating a fete-like ambience, where millions have congregated to understand their ‘raison d’etre’. We were looking forward to the most-awaited dip in the Holy Ganga called a ‘snan’, which is either a usual one or a ‘shahi’ one, like the one on “Mauni Amavasya” which occurs once every 144 years as this is a day which has unique planetary positions. It is estimated that a record number of pilgrims, approximately 3 to 6 crores took this dip during the Kumbh this year!
After a quick, Spartan breakfast we headed for the Triveni Sangam (the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati) on our boat. The boatman, Pancham Lal, who was by now a friend in the vast sea of humanity at Kumbh, steered us in the right direction. The first dip itself was enough to send a chill down one’s spine. And that was the moment of truth, when we truly awakened: all our senses came alive! After the peaceful and rejuvenating dip, everyone joined their hands to pray for wisdom, peace and happiness for themselves and everyone on the planet.
After a sumptuous meal at the Sadafaldeo Ashram, we went to explore the city of Allahabad. We visited Ananda Bhavan, where our Former Prime Minister, J. L. Nehru, was born.We also explored the Sacred Church for Protestants, the oldest in U.P. which was built in 1871. The High courts of Allahabad and its street food were on our tour list.On the third day we had no agenda; we were going with the flow. We walked down the streets of the Mela, explored different parts of it and created many memories through photographs too. It was indeed the greatest experience of our life to eat freshly made “khichdi” which was offered by a Good Samaritan who had been preparing a sumptuous afternoon meal for all pilgrims.
After leaving the mela, we headed towards the District Magistrate’s office which was situated in the middle of the city. It was inspiring to interact with the District Magistrate of Allahabad, who is a young and dynamic IAS officer from Karnataka from the UP cadre, and has served various districts like Unnao and Bhadoi in U.P. before coming to Allahabad District recently.The penultimate experience on this trip was the eternal wait for the Garib Rath express which ended up being 6 hours behind schedule, and our contingent spent an entire night on the platform of Allahabad Junction waiting eagerly for the dawn and the train! This will forever be etched in our memories as a powerful experience of resilience.
We are indeed back with “the experience of a lifetime!”A more well travelled, worldly-wise and spiritually-tuned Pathwazian returns home after a life-changing Kumbh Mela!
Thank you, Pathways, especially Dr. Sarvesh Naidu and Mr. Arvind Chalasani in believing in us, Mr. Trishu Kareer and Mr. Manish Amin of Yatra.com for making our stay comfortable and safe; Mrs. Manju Singhania for our personal interaction with Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avdeshanandji of the Juna Akhara; Mr. and Ms. Rastogi for our local stay and travel in the city from the city of Allahabad; Mr. Raj Sekhar I.A.S, the DM of Allahabad for an enriching interaction; Ms. Garima Khemka and Joseph John from the administration for expediting the booking procedures which actually made this trip happen.
Finally, we would like to thank the leading teachers, Ms. Bhagirathy Jhingran and Mr. Guru Charan Kumar, who came up with this proposal and ensured that this would be a landmark journey in our young lives as Senior School students.
Text: Emaanat Singh, Ayushi Aggarwal, Pia Hazarika and Kanika Chachera, Grade 11
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