Kumbh Mela

Foreign Correspondent

EDMOND ROY

30 April 1998

Roy: There's only one way to go

today, and that's towards the city of

Haridwar.

Set at the foothills of the Himalayas,

where the River Ganges enters the

plains of India, Haridwar is one of the

seven most important pilgrimage sites

for any devout Hindu.

It's also the scene of this century's last

maha kumbh a bathing festival no self

respecting Hindu would want to miss.

Roy: So what am I doing here

anyway. Well, this is the kumbh mela

and for another one to come around, I

have to wait 1 2 years. And whoever

said the kumbh mela was only a

religious festival.

Singing

Roy: This is the mother of all fairs. It's

actually been going on for the past

three months. With all manner of

entertainment for the crowds.

But its climax on the final day is what

everyone here has been waiting for.

The Bath of the Saddhus, the reclusive

Hindu holy men, who often confine

themselves to the harsh environment

of the Himalayas, is about to begin.

According to Hindu mythology, a dip

during the auspicious time of the

maha kumbh, makes one immortal.

The story goes that the gods in a fight

amongst themselves, spilled some of

the holy nectar of immortality on to

earth.

A few drops fell here at Haridwar, and

once every 12 years, when Jupiter

enters the house of Aquarius, it's

believed the waters of the Ganges here

turn into the nectar of immortal life.

But now it's the turn of the Saddhus,

who are led down the stairs of the

gods into the holy waters, by their

bodyguards, the mysterious nargas,

who go around with their naked

bodies covered in ash.

In the past, violence between various

sects of nargas have led to stampedes,

killing several hundred pilgims.

And authorities know that unlike the

planetary configuration that rules the

heavens, and makes this maha kumbh

possible, it's chaos, the rules down

here.

Man: It's an act of worship. It's more

than just a dip in the Ganges. The

Kumbh Mela is very important for us

Hindus — and it only happens once in

12 years. That's why I'm here.

Man 2: Coming to the Kumbh is an act

of devotion and essential pilgrimage

for every Hindu.

Roy: That's a sentiment reflected

down at the river, as the crowd shed

their inhibitions along with their

clothes in their quest for immortality.

For the millions of people that come

here, a dip in these holy waters is

absolution. All this pushing and

shoving is but a small price to pay for

what they go away with. But this

sinner though that's a tempting

thought. On the other hand, I don't

think so.

Fortunately this year, there are no

stampedes and the maha kumbh mela

winds down in the serene evening

light. It'll be 12 years before another

one of this magnitude comes along.

Enough time for the town of Haridwar

to recover.

And among this vast crowd of seven

million, I'm the only one carrying their

sins back with me, for I'm probably

the only one who didn't take a dip in

the holy but polluted waters of the

Perhaps there is some spiritual force

controlling all of this. After all, seven

million people came and went without

an argument. Well, if only the gods

could get the government to stop

arguing, get the trains running on

time. Get the population under

control, get my gas connection...