Born in a Jain family, married to a Hindu family, and myself a staunch Nichiren Buddhism follower, the visit to Prayagraj, to attend the Hindu festival of Mahakumbh was nothing short of an eye-opener, a spiritual journey within. A month ago, we decided to take a holy dip on this Mahakumbh, happening after 144 years, an occasion not to be missed out. The spiritual corner of my heart patted me on my decision. A bit nervous about how we will manage amidst the sea of people, I resorted to my faith and started chanting for a smooth journey.
The enthusiasm to be part of this mega-gathering, attracting people from all over the world and crossing all the barriers of caste, creed, and religion started igniting in me. I wanted to experience, get a feel of the entire ceremony, and breathe in the same air that thousands of Yogis and Sadhus were breathing. The sensational news about Naga sadhus, Several Akharas, Kinaras, and the unbelievable videos of saints on social media were an added attraction despite the news about long traffic snarls, mismanagement & chaos, dangers of taking a dip in Ganges.
We travelled through Varanasi to Prayagraj, and reached Kumbh Ghat miraculously without going through the ordeal of walking 5-8 km. As we stood in the water, my heart shouted ‘Har Har Gange’, full of gratitude. Then 10 or more dubkis happened in quick succession. The water was extremely refreshing and I recalled the stories of the energy one gets by immersing oneself in pure water or as stated ‘Amrit’. There was no distinction among the people, the rich, the poor, the celebrity, the political bigwigs. This spiritual festival, Mahakumbh, had embraced One and all. It was too deep a learning experience for me. I came back as a human being, Version 2.0, who had the good fortune of seeing how when the universe conspires, the poorest of the poor get the opportunity to earn, to get free food, to be treated with respect. The festival had created a stir in my heart.
