Kumba Mela in Haridwar

Yesterday morning I woke up with this strong desire to go to Haridwar. Back to Anandamai's Ma's ashram and then the puja (if there was time). It worked perfectly. The driver who had brought me from Rishikesh first took me to the ashram to meditate, in the sacred place where Anandamai Ma was buried. Later we rushed to the banks of the Ganga where i crawled through fences, walked down long walkways and then through security, where I had my purse checked for cameras, guns and whatever else they were looking for. I passed the inspection and was allowed to pass (my camera was in the side pocket of my purse where they had not looked).

I joined the throngs, which were not anything like I had imagined. I had imagined millions of wild Saddhus and millions of pressing, crowding pilgrims and not a single glimpse of the Ganges, but I was deliciously wrong. Across the bank the crowds were huge and 100 or so deep, but here on this side the crowd was only about 30 deep...about 15 lines of people sitting down on the ground and about 15 who were standing. I was moved by how kind the people were to me. Some young men who had noticed that I wanted to take photos, opened a space for me in the crowd that was standing and got me to the front. The puja (aarti) began slowly and eventually became a blaze of lights. All circulating in a clockwise manner, people had varying sizes of lamps; some a single candle, others tiers of flaming ghee lamps. At one point a lovely couple, with love in their eyes and soft voices, came up on my right. The man, so nicely said (I've noticed how they make note of when someone speaks 'nicely' so I will do the same here) "Do you mind if my wife gets up to the front? She has a problem with height and she is a good bhakta" How could I not make room for her? (she was about 4 and 1/2 feet tall). I put my right arm around her, brought her in close to me and took the rest of the photos blind...why not? (sometimes the best photos come to you when you have not controlled them)

The pilgrims (and I) chanted a beautiful and moving chant as the appreciation for the Mother Ganga swelled in our hearts. You could see it in their eyes (and mine). I gave thanks that I was there, being able to celebrate and honor this most sacred river 'Ganga Mayima" with them. What an incredible blessing.

The Ganga has become as precious to me as Ganesha and Anandamayai Ma's ashram.