The photojournalist Shanth Kumar de Toi captures the essence of Maha Kumbh Mela Through his experience of navigating the confluence of faith and tradition in the world’s greatest spiritual congregation.
As a photojournalist, the crowds fascinate me. And here was, a speck in the middle of Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest meeting of humanity on earth. Overwhelming, chaotic and yet deeply moving, this was a different event from any other.
For three days, I immersed myself in a sea of millions, witnessing from closing the fervor and devotion that took the people out of every corner of this vast country to the banks of Triveni Sangam.
My days would begin long before the first light of dawn, with an exhausting 20 km walk to the riverbank. The great density of the crowd made a challenge walk. Pushed and pushed at each step, I went ahead, however, my eyes in the reward of this unique spiritual and cultural journey.
The spirit shines through
What surprised me was the determination and faith that promoted the progress of the pilgrims. There were families who had walked for days, reddish children who clung to their parents and elderly people on younger shoulders, all driven by the sacred call of the river.
In the midst of this human tide, I could not avoid noticing the marked realities of a pilgrimage of this scale, especially for the disadvantaged.
Thousands slept outdoors, snuggling for warmth on the nights loaded with cold. The families cooked and ate next to the road when the new arrivals passed. The aroma of food and incense hung in the air, creating a picturesque sensory symphony with the constant buzzing of singing and sentences.
Amid the chaos and the daily struggles of the common pilgrims, there were moments of kindness and em Pathy: strangers became friends and shared what they had with each other, the children who passed by hand and the elderly receive help from who approached who approached .
Chaos crucible
With every day that passes, the crowds seemed to grow more and almost impossible to handle. After being in several stampede situations in my short time there, I feared that an accident was waiting for it to happen. And then a stampery unraveled right before my eyes. I was lucky to have enough time to escape from being caught in the falling in panic feet when climbing a mini van.
From the relative security of my hanger, I saw dozens of children and women freeze while the people around them desperately sought space that did not exist. The agony in his faces made me go down and somehow helps take 29 children to a safe place, while their mothers clung to the sides of the truck.
People’s view shouting and crying while trying to find their loved ones will always persecute me. As the night passed, I would learn that the stampede had gained many lives. The ambulances that were extended by Sirena took the dead already the injured were a constant tragedy reminder. I felt helpless, unable to do nothing more than capture glimpses of horror and pain through my lens.
Communion Moment
The next day, I stayed on a roof, waiting for the Sadhus To take a dip in the Holy Confluence. Then there was the news that they had canceled their plans due to the stampede the night before. I was disappointed.
While I was preparing to leave, there was another announcement that Sadhus would reach 1pm. That didn’t happen either. I returned to the store to pack my bags and leave around 2.40 pm a third announcement confirmed that Sadhus and the Mela administration had decided to proceed with the ritual.
Again I ran 10 km to the riverbank, my heart was beating with emotion. When I arrived at the edge of the water, I saw the most incredible view: thousands of Sadhus, their bodies painted in ashes and Bermellones, vaining in the sacred waters to be in communion with their spirituality.
In the end, all tiredness disappeared before the idea of having captured what he thought was a photographic story for the ages.
Such a long trip
However, the trip back home was full of challenges that would try my patience and resolution again. The roads were stuck and we were trapped in traffic for hours. We take deviations through the villages, where the roads were narrow and sinuous.
When we finally arrive at the main road, we deviate again, adding hours to our trip. I lost my flight and I had to wait another day to return home.
In a way, the task ended as it had begun. A few minutes after arriving at the Media Center in Prayagraj on the day of our arrival, our belongings had been stolen from the car. This happened in the five -minute window that we were collecting our media passes. I lost my clothes and two bags containing documents and hard drives had disappeared. For three days, I had to settle for a jacket and a blanket shared by a colleague.
While looking back on the trip, the primary sensation is satisfaction. Experience was not only a story captured through my lens, but a life of perseverance life and the shared essence of our individual trips. It is a story that I will take with me.