I have heard lots of things of kumbh mela but never experienced it. It’s just last moment decision to explore simhastha kumbh @ujjain. And when i have disclosed my idea to visit kumbh, i got surprised reaction from all , most common reaction is “ખોવાઈ ના જતા , પાછા આવજો “. મને તો એવું જ લાગવા માંડ્યું કે હું કોઈ war zone માં જઈ રહ્યો છું. મનમોહન દેસાઈ અને બચ્ચન ના movies માં બે ભાઈઓ ને કુંભ ના મેલા માં છુટા પડતા બતાવી ને કુંભ ના મેલા ની impression બદલી નાખી છે.

But when me & my friend dhrumil went there, we had different experience. It’s well organised fair. Not so much crowded, cleanliness well maintained, even bathing water in kshipra river was also very clean.

KUMBH HISTORY:    1) According to Hindu mythology, During samudra manthan, or churning of the ocean, amrita was produced and placed in a kumbha (pot). To prevent the asuras (malevolent beings) from seizing the amrita, lord vishnu flew away with the pot.Lord Vishnu dropped drops of Amrita (the drink of immortality) at four places, while transporting it in a kumbha (pot). These four places are identified as the present-day sites of the Kumbh Mela.   (2) Another story , at some point of time in ancient india, Buddhism was dominating religion rather than hinduism.To revive Hinduism, shankracharya has started kumbh mela as a religious festival.

ujjain has it’s own history. Indian king “vikramaditya” was rulling from ujjain.

Every indian has heard his stories of “vikram & betal”. kavi kalidas & other were 9 “ratna” in vikramaditya’s rule.

shipra river & ram ghat where kumbh mela where holi dip in river can be taken.

Evening aarti at ram ghat

golden baba & enviornment baba

we met different naga bawa in akhara. After interacting with them, i found that they consider themself as a warriors of religion.

Naga bawa usually stays in deep forest, and they use charas,ganja, bhang,marijuana…..for prolonged meditation session…..

bawa reading newspaper

different faces of naga bawa

foreigners are crazy for kumbhmela

satsang with baba

after taking holi dip in shipra river, happiness in our face……& proof that Kumbhmela ma loko khovata nathi”

Indian culture is the most complex and colorful culture on the planet. You will see, the way people look, their language and food, their way of dressing, music and dance, everything is different every 50 or 100 kilometers in the country. One place where you can really see the complexity of this culture is the Kumbha Mela.

During interaction with one sadhu, we asked him about “how to get happiness in life?” He told me that everybody come to me & asking for good job, money, wife, family,power etc for happiness….but they are searching happiness in external things. And this external things are never under anybody’s control. Actual happiness lies in ourself, if we discover it with internal spiritual journey  than it’s best thing. Most Indians are unaware of the depth of mysticism and spiritual process that has happened and continues to happen in India. This land has always been known as the spiritual capital of the world, simply because no other culture has looked at the inner sciences with as much understanding. Here, liberation or mukti has been the highest goal, and even God is considered just a stepping stone towards that.

In my views….kumbhmela is fair of spirituality, great religion. Even though people believes in different god(like shiva,vishnu  etc) but they stay together & celebrate together.