Trip of a lifetime, a once in 144 year event, the Maha Kumbh

By Dr Chitra Gopinathan

Chitra Gopinathan is a Consultant Anaesthetist working at Queens Hospital in Romford. Her hobbies and passions are varied. She enjoys the creative side of herself. She attempts a bit of writing and drawing when she gets the chance and feels inspired. She has a blog site, ‘Chitra’s musings’ at gchitra.com. Although it was a regular feature, it has now become a bit adhoc as she puts it. She enjoys reading, travelling and eating out.

It was the trip of a lifetime, a once in 144 year event, the Maha Kumbh. My sister, Asha, is regaling us with stories and the near misses she encountered during her trip to the holy land last week. We are in Paravur celebrating Amma’s 85th birthday. The cool evening breeze blowing from afar and over the calm waters of Paravur kayal is helping us get rid of the day’s heat and stuffiness. The children are happily playing in the swimming pool while the adults are enjoying their cold drinks. Asha has come for six days from Canada and is making the most of these few days. A trip that was already almost full of engagements when she realised she had three free days. For someone who doesn’t like to sit still she found the perfect way to fill the gap. Her friends had already planned their trip to Prayagraj when these ideas took hold and we wondered whether she was losing the plot or suffering from FOMO.

“Tell her not to go”, my friend urged me. “Does she not know that it doesn’t take much for things to go wrong in such crowded areas”. And so it did just a day or two after this conversation. A stampede happens and people die. A few of her friends went and came back. They had differing experiences, one of which was a terrifying experience as they tried to drive through the crowded streets, with permission, but still a not to be repeated occurrence. Others went but couldn’t do the ‘Triveni Sangam Snan’, and these were friends with influence, something she didn’t have.

As she had left it late to book she couldn’t fly directly to Prayagraj. Instead the first leg of the journey was to Varanasi. She didn’t go alone but asked our uncle who enjoys these travels to accompany her. Mamen had already booked his trip. His plan was to go with a couple of friends by train and he booked his tickets from Goa. He cancelled those and went with Asha instead. At Varanasi they had a taxi waiting to take them to the tents which had been erected specially for this occasion. The drive took around three and a half hours. At this point they hit the road blocks. There was still another 8 kilometres till their destination. They were travelling light and so only had minimal luggage but Asha was not able or willing to walk the final few kilometres. She didn’t want to aggravate a recent ankle issue which was just starting to feel better. Hasty arrangements had to be made and a bike and scooter arrived to whisk them away to their glamping tents.

By evening the temperature fell to 14 degrees. The tent was equipped with a blanket, room heater, sweater, fan, mosquito repellents, kettle. running water and toilet facilities. Mamen went for a walk but it didn’t last long. The police stopped him to check his ID. Apparently those who are not meant to be there are evicted swiftly. The security was immense with a heavy police presence everywhere. Food came in large pots as big as a table she explained. Despite the noise and temple bells she managed to get a good night sleep.

Out of the period during which the Maha Kumbh Mela is held between January 13 to February 26, there are six days which are the most auspicious ones. Those are the days when the special snans can be taken in the River Ganges at the point where it meets the River Yamuna and mythical River Saraswathi. Unknowingly Asha had booked the 12 February to do this ritual, which was the penultimate main snan day. Mamen and Asha woke up early that day and went to see the Hanuman temple. The guide picked them up at midday and took them to the riverbanks by bike. From here they reached the snan point by boat and did the ritual. A ritual that is meant to cleanse the body and free the soul from the cycle of birth and death.

While this was going on a 300 kilometre traffic jam was building up along the routes to Prayagraj and there it stayed bumper to bumper for almost two days. Families were trapped in their cars and were going nowhere. She could have easily been one of those unlucky souls. Then there were stories of those who missed their flights and those who made it but couldn’t get to the snan point. As for Mamen’s friends, despite their train reservations they couldn’t get on their trains as others had occupied their seats and so abandoned their journey. Mamen, of course, gleefully sent them his photos. Asha’s travel went without a glitch and they made it back home in one piece with a story to tell. One of the amazing thing that she mentioned was the cleanliness of the streets. Despite almost half a billion visitors descending on this small city, there was not a speck of litter to be seen each of the mornings that they were there. The event is reaching its end and will not be repeated in our lifetime or for the next two to three generations. A couple of tragic events occurred and people lost their lives but one still has to marvel at how the authorities managed to pull off such a huge feat.

Regarding the FOMO part, I read about the value of participating in rituals, the benefits they have on one’s mental and physical wellbeing, how they connect communities and provide us with valuable insights that we are part of something larger than just ourselves. My sister is richer for braving the journey and fortunate for completing it without any mishaps. As for the rest of us, we have the holy water. Even though we didn’t have a dip ourselves we can still sprinkle a few drops on ourselves and hope some of the ‘amruth’ will bring us the same benefits.

As we sat enthralled listening to Asha’s escapades the day was drawing to a close and it was time to get ready and help Amma celebrate her special birthday.