A few photos from the Kumbh Mela, Feb 2013

[Girisha]

Hi folks


I made a pilgrimage to the 12 yearly Kumbh Mela at Allahabad with tens of millions of people this year, plus visits to Mathura where Krishna was born and Vrindavan where he spent his early years. I only had a few weeks but also made it to Ayodhya where Rama born and Chitrakut where spent his early years.


Stepping into the water on the main bathing day in glittering sunlight was an overwhelming spiritual experience while Chitrakut's Kamadgiri hill as embodying Rama to circumambulate and ascend without shoes is very memorable.


I wore various Indian clothes throughout and it was nice to see people noticing your path and God in you, raising their hands together and even offer money as a token donation- very memorable for a place where you're usually asked for money...


I have lots more photos but wondering if anyone else managed to get over there?


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2095_zps4be25195.jpg


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2100_zps61795b13.jpg


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2120_zps90b8dd72.jpg


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2135_zps089ad7a3.jpg


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2034_zps8d9e5fc4.jpg

[Girisha]

A few more...

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2216_zps9a5f44f8.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2077_zpsfbfda2db.jpg


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2068_zps3cd784d6.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2054_zpsb7a385e5.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India/102_2012_zps08821a55.jpg

[Viraja]

Namaste Girisha,

Great pictures! I am from South India and I have to say people do dress differently in North India. For example, the style of dhoti worn by some of the men in the pictures can never be seen in South India. Also, the presence of those street-side sadhus - one can find them only in the Kumbamela site!

Great that you did not get lost in the maddening crowd! You must really have excellent merits to have been part of the great Kumbamela!

Pranam.

[jignyAsu]

Wonderful pics! You are a blessed soul indeed.

[Believer]

Namaste Girisha,

Thanks for taking us on a visual journey to the Mela through sharing your pictures. Hope to see pictures from other places that you visited on your trip soon.

Regards.

Pranam.

PS, Viraja, welcome to the diversity of India :) There is no uniformity in the "North" as you seem to imply. People in different parts of the country dress differently - not just a North/South difference.

[ShivaFan]

Namaste and Fantastic! Thanks for sharing such wonderful moments. More! More! As I love to say, "There are wondersin India".
Om Namah Sivaya

[Girisha]

Thanks to Viraja, jignyAsu, Believer and ShivaFan; here's a few more including from the Rama hill at Chitrakut. I can post plenty more, and talk to you soon; Girisha.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2138_zpse29cbf7f.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2164_zps71d68174.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2208_zpsfdb64530.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2200_zpsac214e38.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2218_zps060e0c31.jpg

[Girisha]

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2129_zpsdfaf168b.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2117_zpsdb4649ee.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2109_zps1afa5a7b.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2089_zps68f43aa7.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2085_zpsee1b3374.jpg

[Girisha]

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2082_zps5fae7673.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2071_zpsf1de2732.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2064_zpsdfcb9281.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2058_zpsad555905.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m71/SeanMcHugh02/India%20Kumbh%20Mela%20Chitrakut/102_2061_zps40ddb179.jpg