Faces in the Crowd: Kumbh Mela Haridwar 2010 (Archives)

Kumbh Melas are among the largest religious gatherings in the world.

According to the BBC News, which published pictures of the 2001 Allahabad Kumbh Mela taken from space, that particular mela was “probably the largest human gathering in history”. The more recent mela in Allahabad (Prayagraj) in 2013 attracted an estimated 120 million devotees over a two month period, with over 30 million bathing on the most auspicious day of the Mauni Amawasya (10 February 2013).

A Kumbh Mela – literally a festival of the kumbh – is a mass pilgrimage during which Hindu faithful gather to bathe in a sacred or holy river. Based on the primary concepts of pilgrimage, religious practice, and sacred sites, the Kumbh Melas were inscribed into UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.

A kumbh (or kumbha) is a special pot or pitcher used to collect holy water. It is the also the Hindi name for the astrological sign Aquarius (कुम्भ). In Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mythology, the kumbha symbolises fertility and the womb. According to Hindu legend, gods and demons fought over a kumbh of nectar that would give them immortality. Today, bathing in India’s sacred rivers during the festival is believed to cleanse a person of all their sins, and free them from the cycle of death and rebirth. Most pilgrims carry kumbh – or other containers, including plastic water bottles – with them, so that they can take holy waters home to loved ones who are unable to make the journey.

There are four main sites in Northern India where Kumbh Melas take place: Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayagraj), Trimbak-Nashik, and Ujjain. The precise date of each mela is carefully calculated based on the the placement of Jupiter (Bṛhaspati), the Sun (Surya) and the Moon (Chandra) in Hindu astrology. Each of these four sites hosts a Kumbh Mela, which lasts six to eight weeks, once every twelve years – and some venues host an Ardh Kumbh Mela (semi kumbh fair) in between.

My news feed has been full of shots from the Ardh Kumbh Mela currently underway in in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. This prompted me to return to my archives to pull out pictures I took when I attended the 2010 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar with photographers Gavin Gough and Matt Brandon.

Such a long time ago!

That wasn’t my first trip to India, but it was my first time dealing crowds of that magnitude: on our third day there, the Mauni Amawasya, approximately 10 million people bathed in the Ganges. Most of my small group watched the Peshwai Procession, where the different akhara – or sects – of sadhus take their turns to bathe, from the relative comfort of our hotel lobby rather from the over-crowded ghats. Lucky, really, as seven people were killed in a stampede on the bridges that afternoon – “an unfortunate day in what was almost an incident-free [four-month] megafest for over five crore [50,000,000] devotees from across India.”

What I remember of my days at the culmination of that year’s fair in Haridwar, was the positive vibe across the city. Everyone I met – from local residents and shopkeepers, to pilgrims and sadhus – was full of positive energy and good humour. Even the air – with highs of 38°C most days – was buzzing with heat and energy.

Returning to old photos, taken on an old camera, is always risky. But, I miss India – and dipping into old pictures is the best I can do! These are from my first day in Haridwar – I’m sure I’ll return to the others at some stage.

Come and meet some of the faces in the crowd at the mela.

Everyone was so happy!

I was thrilled to be a part of it; such a pity we can’t be like that every day.

Keep Smiling!

Photos: 12April2010