#KumbhMela: the holy bath, politics and salvation

On the day of the first holy dip, Kumbh Mela is also a venue for communal sentiments and demands for the Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

WrittenBy:Mihir Srivastava
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Makar Sankranti, the first sahi snan or the royal bath, marks the beginning of Kumbh Mela. Before sunrise, a sea of humanity started to pour out in large numbers, like ants crawling towards sugar. The projection of 10 million people taking a holy dip seems a bit of an exaggeration: there is enough space to walk, the crowd isn’t overwhelming, and the prices of essential commodities (vegetables, fruits and oil) remained unchanged. The number of pilgrims is anyone’s guess as there was no registration or counting done, and a sizable part of the crowd is locals or visitors from adjoining cities.

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It’s a sunny, warm and windy day. Every denizen of Kumbh city is preparing for the holy bath, especially the thousands of sadhus, sages and Nagas. Sundarshan, a Naga of Juna Akhara in his late 20s, spends the whole day meeting with his disciples and seeking favours from visitors—money for wood, donations and contribution in cash and kind, or marijuana. He blesses them in return.

Money plays an important part in the spiritual world. A disciple lost is money lost. There’s a constant struggle between various akharas, or amongst the maha-mandaleshwar (leaders) within an akhara, or between sadhus for that finite resource—disciples. To attract a following, they build a cult, demonstrate their occult power, move around in an entourage of big cars and sport ostentatious headgear. There’s so much sloganeering it almost feels like a political roadshow.

The battle to control akharas is intense. Hierarchies and protocols are sacrosanct and bitterly fought. Nagas, led by the maha-mandaleshwars, are more than willing to fight their contemporaries from other akharas to ensure they are the first to take a dip in the holy Ganges. The Mela Authority did well to step in. All the akharas—14 of them—were allotted a specific time and location to take the holy dip to avoid any clashes. There is tension in the air on the eve of the major holy bath.    

The Nagas are particularly belligerent in their dealings. Their loyalty lies with the Sanatana dharma, or orthodox Hinduism, and they will use their might to propagate their belief, to build the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, to protect cows, and annihilate the enemies of the religion. “We are the protector of the faith, we are Shiv’s soldiers in flesh and blood,” says Anand Giri, a madaleshwar.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has planned to host a “Dharam Sansad”, or religious parliament, where actors, players, celebrities will be invited to their sprawling 14-acre akhara, one of the biggest. RSS cadres are active in Kumbh, is helping the administration organise the event. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is also likely to participate in the Dharam Sansad which will delve in detail into issues like love jihad, conversion and cow protection—apart from the Ram Temple.

Ram Temple and cow protection are part of the popular discourse. As 48-year-old Shailendra Giri, one of the maha-madaleshwars of Juna Akhara, says, “I feel the BJP has failed to deliver on Ram Temple. But I also believe that the BJP is the only party that’s capable of building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.”

Foreigners are welcome to the Naga camp as they are connoisseurs of the good stuff and, more importantly, pay well. A British couple in their 70s who identify themselves as the Smiths camp in Sundarshan’s tent the whole afternoon. The husband smokes up while the wife sleeps listlessly in the shade. They’ve arrived just a few hours ago—they stay in Goa during the winter and spend their summers in London. The Smiths describe their vocation as “retired”—something that Sundarshan finds amusing. “You can afford to be retired,” he tells them in Hindi, saying they are privileged. “Privileges are not good for the spiritual quest.” The Smiths are almost apologetic.

Sages fight a daily fight for survival. Sundarshan makes about ₹500 a day from donations. Yesterday was special: he made ₹3,000. Most of it was spent buying dope. He’s not just smoking pot, he likes to sniff stronger stuff, and he has to save for travelling.

And so sadhus and akharas compete for attention, loyalty and patronage. They offer a good future and also trade in fear, like Mahant Shiv Giri Baba from Alwar, absolutely stoned, tears like thick syrup brimmed his eyes: “Na tera hai, Na mera hai, yai Naga baba ka dera hai (This is not yours nor mine; this belongs to Naga sage),” he repeats. Sundarshan offers to pull a car with his penis if the disciples promise to buy him a 15-litre tin of ghee. No one obliges. He curses, “Kaal tumare sar par hai (death is trailing you).”

Another young Naga, Govind Giri from Uttarakhand, entangles his penis in a stick, rolls the stick a couple of times, and holds the stick parallel to the ground. He makes a fellow Naga stand on the stick. This spectacle attracts a big crowd and he makes some good money.

Nagas hate it if you stay long in their tent—you’re allowed as long as you’re smoking pot or ready to make contributions. “This is mela (a fair), people come and go. Life’s a mela, we are travellers,” says Govind Giri rather poetically. He adds sharply, “It’s not good to stay with Nagas after sundown when spirits and ghosts get active.”

When on the move, Nagas are highly reactive. They might hit a bystander with a stick for the slightest provocation or none at all. If the victim musters the courage to react, 10 others will pounce on him.

The Nagas are the first to take the dip. Three hours before the bath, they congregate inside their respective akhara. Elaborate rituals are performed: they rub ash on each other’s bodies, appearing like grey statues of flesh and blood dancing naked around a fire. Then they set out in smaller groups in the biting cold, only to rejoin later to form an army of naked sadhus, vapours emanating from their bodies. They are led by the chariots (tractor-pulled trolleys) of various maha-mandaleshwars, their weapons—swords and maces—raised high in the air. Yelling “Har har mahadev”, they plunge into the holy river.

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