Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25179
Behind the Scenes What's behind the Maha Kumbha Mela? BLUE tracked down five experts of varying backgrounds to discuss some of the truths and myths behind the world's largest spiritual event. THE EXPERTS Jim Lochtefeld, 44, Associate Professor of Religion, Hinduism, Carthage College, WI. Jack Llewellyn, 44, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Hinduism, SW Missouri State University. Shyamdas, 48, a writer and translator of sacred texts from Sanskrit, Braja Bhasa and Hindi. An American who has been living in India on and off for the last 30 years-he first traveled to India in at the age of 18, and didn't return to the USA for the next ten years (see "Pilgrim's Tale," page 43). Srinivas Kuruganti, 33, a documentary photographer who focuses on socioeconomic issues in India and other developing countries. He traveled to Allahabad, the site of the 2001 Maha Kumbha Mela, to take photo- graphs for this article. Jason Ditzian, 24, a traveler and writer who spent three weeks at the Maha Kumbha Mela. Jason began studying Indian classical music in April 2000 in California, which marked the beginning of a burgeoning passion for all things Indian. He had been looking for an excuse to go to India, and the Kumbha Mela provided the perfect opportunity. blue: How many people, total, went to the Maha Kumbha Mela? Jason: It's difficult to get an accurate count of tens of millions of people at a free event with an unmediated flow of participants but this year, some tallies leveled off in the 70-million-plus range. Other accounts say 30 million is more accurate. blue: Would you all agree that the Maha Kumbha Mela is the largest religious gathering on the planet? Jim: Oh yeah, no doubt. blue: How does it compare to some of the other huge religious gatherings on the planet? Jim: I think the Hajj [the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca] sees six or seven million people sometimes. I'm not aware of any other religious gatherings that are as large as the Maha Kumbha Mela. blue: It's hard for a lot of people to even conceptualize such an immense gath- ering. If India's population totals about a billion, how does this compare to the number of visitors to the Kumbha Mela? What percent of the country attends? Shyamdas: Let's be conservative and say 33 million people came. So we can figure it at between three and five percent [of the country's population], but not all at one time. Certain auspicious days attract the largest crowds-up to 20 million. blue: Why did you attend the Kumbha Mela? Shyamdas: To go there and to experience the congregation of millions of people for the attainment of some sort of nectar was very exciting. Imagine millions of people having more or less the same idea about something and then finalizing it with a bath in shallow water. It's supposed to wipe away sins for a lifetime. blue: Are you Hindu? Shyamdas: Yes. You know, "Hindu" is really a word coined by Islamic invaders. People who lived by the Indus river were called "Indus," and it's been adapted. I follow in the yogic path of devotion (also known as bhakti yoga) . I practice things like yoga and japa, recitation of mantra. Going to the Kumbha Mela is certainly a Hindu practice. (continued on page 72) 45