by Nitin Motwani

My family and I were accom-panied by millions of other Hindus on our journey to Allahabad, India for the Kumbh Mela festival. The number of them was amazing, a magnificent 20 million people walking in an endless stream. If placed in a single file line they would have stretched from Allahabad to Miami, and if you disregard the seas in between they would have gone from Allahabad all the way back to Allahabad. Rich, poor, old, young, athletic, handicapped, silent, loud, it did not matter; all were welcome and everyone took part in the festival. Entire villages and families were walking in tight formations joined by shirttails and saree aanchails, some groups with dholaks singing the praises of the Hindu pantheon.

Like all of these other people we were hoping to wash away our sins and be in the Presence of God by taking a bath at the river bank of the Ganges River in this auspicious location. The festival lasts for 43 days and falls only once every twelve years. The name Comes from a Hindu myth that tells how the gods and demons fought over a kumbh, or pot, of Nectar that would give them immortality. The legend claims that one of the gods ran off with the pot, spilling four drops of nectar near four blessed cities. Each of these four cities is part of the festival’s rotation; Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain, and Hardwar. Of the four locations Allahabad is considered the holiest.

This was the once in 144-years Mahakumbh and from the moment I stepped foot into India I was warned about the madness that I was to face. Stampedes of people, endless Traffic, dirty and cold water, you name it and it was mentioned. I was worried and confused And questioned how safe it was for us to go. However, my mother was set on attending the Mahakumbh, and that was that. We booked a flight into Varanasi and planned on hiring a car To get into the "city of chaos." We reached safely, found lodging and prepared for whatever We would have to face in the morning.

I cannot express to you how amazed I was when I caught sight of the millions of people walking in such an organized fashion. It was mind blowing to see how devoted and loving the vast majority of the people were. Fortunately the water was not as cold I had been told, and we were able to take multiple dips cleansing our bodies and praying to God. We were fortunate enough to make contact with Swami Gopal Ji of the Kendriya Marg Darshan Mandal, Who invited us for arti and lunch. Afterwards he insisted we rest for a few minutes in one of tents to relax and absorb the holy atmosphere form the ground. The entire process took us less than one day. In additional had we known that the military airport in Allahabad had been open for this event the trip could have been made that much easier.

I have attended a number of festivals and events with millions of people. The Kumbh Mela was one of the largest congregations of human beings in the history of the world, and of all of these places this was one of the best organized. If you have the opportunity to make the journey do it! It will open your eyes to the beauty and strength of religion and intensity of devotion. I congratulate the Indian government and all of the temples that were involved in making this potentially dangerous religious festival into one of happiness, prayer, love, and devotion.