The holy city of Ujjain where Simhastha Maha Kumbh is been hosted every 12 years. It is not comfortable to describe my experience of Kumbh, like any other holy place?one has to get there to really understand the exclusiveness of the event.
I have been told that people struggle to witness a single Kumbh in there whole lifespan and only the fortunate enough actually reaches there. They say that all the wrongdoings/sins are washed away from the soul once a holy dip is taken in waters of the Kshipra River during Kumbh.
However, for me the greater of the joy was to visit the place and see devotees everywhere. It was endless amount of sacrifice, sufferings, patience, devotion, happiness , et al- that one sees on faces of everyone there chanting mantras seeking blessings and as they return after taking the dip?the satisfaction on there faces as if all there wishes been fulfilled.
I started feeling how lucky I am to get all the good things of life. I saw large group of devotees coming with big cloth pouches on there head and walking in the craziest of summer right at mid-noon as the hot summer wind blew well enough not even letting me give a second thought of switching of the car-ac or to stop and exchange the driver?s seat with dad. There were devotees coming all on there feet seen even when Ujjain was 20-30 kms far off.
Moreover, those who got there from train were all over the roofs of train compartments, right at the door?only quarter of there one foot inside and rest swinging out of the train, hanging by holding the window... For once a while I thought what was so great about getting such bizarre motivations among these followers to go to any length of suffering happily and reach to feel so blessed.
There were different tents of akharas (classified groups of saints and sadhus following a particular way of teaching/ way of preaching) with all the amenities. The head or Guru of the group giving lessons on how to get rid of worldly difficulties and sorrows, as I walked down the path with the loud speaker helping in making me listen even when one don?t want to give them any heed. They all talked about the same thing?to get the negative aspects out ... the usual things in plain language so that everyone could understand.
We (mom,dad,me and my cousin) took the holy dip around 2pm and then went to Mahakal Temple ?it was a long walk of about a kilometer to reach Ramghat where the holydip is taken. We didn?t went for the Shahi Snan?days conferred to be especially more auspicious and also days which have records of stampede coz of crowds that outnumber any imagination?just to give an idea?on the last shahi snan(in first week of May) its predicted that around 1crore devotees would take bath on a single day.
It was not very crowded when we took bath and so even with vigilant lifesavers not allowing one to cross the safety rope I managed to sneak on the deep waters and swim a bit far from the shore.
There was girl taking-bath with her family and she slipped through the stairs, which were inside the water and just to suggest the promptness of lifesavers?there were four of them holding the girl even before the family members figured out what happened.
The trip reinforced my faith in all spiritual aspects not because I blindly believe in them. I believe in them, firstly, because they are the sole medium that binds all the people (of my religion) so closely to collectively lay there faith and stand as a cohesive unit. Secondly, I saw poor people having lights of hope, excitement, achievement in there eyes and anything that makes them happy is divine??coz wot they have in plenty is hope and they are rewarded for it.
The management was in mass scale and so spoke a lot about quantity and not about quality?quite logical. Large number of policemen all around the city?everywhere, most of the time stopping the vehicles 4-5kms before any place that one wants to reach and so anyone going for a visit shall be prepared for walks, keep those cool summer full kurtas out they look great in summer and they help in cooling of the sweat too.
Do plan for at least a day of stay there so that you can grab the night to look around the kumbh mela area?it?s in around an area exceeding 10kms with small circles of shops and of course the preaching centers of different gurus. Everything is about catering to huge number of people?be it parking space, number of shops, places to eat, temples,... There are more than 200 temples in Ujjain though we just went to one?the main temple of Lord Shiva?Mahakaleshwar temple.
We been to Ujjain in past and the rest was all visited before?if one want to visit them add one day more. About the hotels?there are cpl of good hotels and lots of newly made ones sprouting everywhere?they say that hotels are made in 10yrs of time especially to cater to the one month of Sinhastha that comes once in 12yrs. A double room with a/c would cost u around 2,500rupees on normal sinhasta day and on shahi snan day that will go up to 4k-5k per day.
I found hotel Ashray in the freeganj area having good food, dunno about the lodging but looked not bad from the promptness of services. Yatriniwas of the tourism department would be a good choice too.
The Ujjain cultural festival was going on, I was impressed by the performance of a play by group called Mrignayani from Indore. That was the first play that I saw which was done professionally?great light and sound arrangements and knowing that it was open-house play they rightly didn?t had dialogues but only music.
I went on 13th April--those were early days for kumbh and so not much rush,the water in the holy river was clean too.
Climate is hot and dry like a plain region. Be ready to face them.
People would be extremely helpful and police and volunteers would be more than happy to assist you but still be ur own guide and help.
There's a declared ban for any kind of liquor and Non-vegetarian dish being served anywhere in the city of Ujjain--even eggs are not on sale.
Indore is the closest city to Ujjain, Bhopal is 5hrs from road.
This been considered the best organized Kumbh till date--250crore rupees is supposed to be flushed in by the Government to make it a success!
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