A PILGRIMAGE TO THE ETERNAL

INTRODUCTION

In January 2001, the world witnessed a major historical event -- a religious

festival held once every twelve years in the holy city of Prayag (Allahabhad),
located in the ancient subcontinent of India; a festival involving the largest
gathering of human beings ever to assemble on this planet: the Maha Kumbh
Mela (Great Kumbh Mela). According to the Guinness Book of Records, the last
Kumbh Mela, held in 1989, was the "greatest recorded number of human beings
assembled with a common purpose" in history. This past January, an estimated
50 million people from all walks of life made a pilgrimage to this holy city for the
Maha Kumbh Mela.

According to astrological calculations, this forty-one day festival was the

twelfth in a cycle of twelve, thus making it an occasion that occurred after
144 years. The festivals origins belong in India’s mythology and extend
into an ancient hoary past, some have said from “time immemorial”. The
passage of time, however, has not diminished its importance or influence,
which was demonstrated by the oceans of people who came to the rivers
banks last January.

Despite the significance and magnitude of the Maha Kumbh Mela, it is relatively
unknown in the West. Our proposal is to create an illustrated photo book of this
important event in human history, and to make these incredible photographs and
stories of the Kumbh Mela accessible to the world. In addition to this book we
are creating a documentary film and web site. The name for this three-tiered
project is known as Sangam, an ancient Sanskrit term literally meeting
“confluence”. According to the scriptures Sangam refers to the meeting of the
three rivers in Prayag: the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical river of knowledge
known as Saraswati. We saw this as a fitting title since “the confluence” is such a
fundamental concept of the Kumbh Mela. It not only represents the meeting of
three rivers, more importantly, the Sangam is a meeting of the millions and
millions of people, of ideas, and of ancient wisdom. It is a confluence of souls, a
confluence of energies, the confluence of man and the Supreme Being.

THE BOOK:

The book we propose to create will be titled SANGAM: THE CONFLUENCE - A

PILGRIMAGE TO THE ETERNAL. The Kumbh Mela is a visual feast for the
eyes. The crowd and confusion of buyers & sellers, the native groups in every
imaginable costume, some shining in cloths of gold, surrounded by followers
splendidly arranged, others less expensively but picturesquely dressed, and
many half or fully naked, or wildly clad, all mixed up with priests, soldiers,
religious mendicants, beggars, bandits, with here and there a cluster of
Westerners, exhibit all together a concourse which no other place in the world
can show.

To watch a Kumbh procession is to witness the march of centuries, a haphazard

fusion of the ancient past with the technological advancements of our own age.
Lines of camels wait next to modern vehicles stuck in traffic jams. Nagas, the
spiritual warriors of India, clad in nothing but holy ashes can be seen listening to
songs from their tape players, held closely to their ears. The sight of the millions
of devoted pilgrims congregating on the banks of the holy rivers, braving the
hazards of their journeys, the cold, the hunger, all in hopes of obtaining the
spiritual benefits and blessings of bathing in the sacred Sangam, is a truly
amazing sight that cannot be explained in words. Being fascinated by the
grandeur of this Mela, Sidney Low, who visited Kumbh during the tour of the
Prince and Princess of Wales in 1906, writes "nothing more impressive,
picturesque and pregnant with meaning and significant than the Kumbh Mela can
be witnessed in India." Further he mentions, "Until you have looked upon one of
these tremendous gatherings of humanity, many aspects of Indian life and
character may be hidden from you...”

We believe that because of the events significance,

magnitude, and uniqueness this book will reach
and be of interest to a wide audience and market.
Its appeal to a Western audience can be most
directly verified by the large attendance of
Westerners at the festival. Also in the last decade
or so a re-emergence of interest in the Orient and
especially India is well known. Books of past
Kumbh Mela’s exist and have done well, and
thousands were sold during the months before and
after this last Mela in January. Many
photographers were seen at the festival this year
and we believe that if we can be the first ones to
publish a photo book on this major event in human history, we can capture the
market. The market will include students and scholars of various fields such as
anthropology, religion, Indian studies, mythology, sociology, photography etc.
The general public, especially those who are traveled, will also enjoy the colorful
landscapes, vibrant atmosphere, and unique people that make up the
photographs in the book. In addition, many of the millions of people who
attended the festival will like to own a visual reminder of their experience, which
includes Indians from India and the large Indian population that lives abroad, but
also the large amount of foreigners who journeyed there from so many countries
around the world.
THE CONTENTS

We have broken up the book into four chapters. Text will be kept to a minimum,
allowing focus to be placed on the photographs, which will illustrate most of the
story. However, the brief text is scholarly and authoritative, and will be included
in the first few pages of each chapter in order to give proper background
knowledge and context for the photos. In addition to this, each photo will have its
own caption. The book as we have envisioned it will contain 50-75 photographs
and illustrations, and has been divided into the following four chapters.

CHAPTER ONE: A PILGRIMAGE TO THE ETERNAL

The first chapter will deal with the ancient origins and history of the festival, as
well as the religious traditions and spiritual significance to its pilgrims. The
mythology behind the festival, the popular legend known as The Churning of the
Celestial Ocean of Milk will be recounted. This story belongs to the oldest known
scriptures in India, the Vedas and Puranas, which are over 5,000 years old.

The photographs in this chapter will represent many of the timeless elements,
which belong to the festival and have continued throughout the millennia. In
addition illustrations of the myth will be provided.

CHAPTER TWO: PRAYAG RAJTHEERTHA

Prayag Rajteertha, as the city that holds the festival is often referred to, literally
translates to Prayag, King of Holy Sites or Sacred Pilgrimages. This chapter will
focus on the area, location, and geography of the ancient city of Prayag. The
sanctity of Prayag and the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the three holy
rivers, has been well documented in scriptures. During this holy time, deemed
so by astrologists, it is believed that along with the pilgrims, all devas (gods) and
asuras (demons) come to Prayag, along with all other holy sites in India to
receive blessings from their king and to replenish their own sanctity in the sacred
waters of the Sangam. India’s oldest authoritative scriptures attest to the city’s
great powers.

The photographs will, as mentioned earlier, focus on the location and geography
of the Kumbh Mela and attempt to transport the viewer within the city’s area.
Tremendous administrative efforts and organization were needed in order to
create a livable area for the “worlds largest temporary city”. Throngs of tents
were set up, make shift roads placed in the sand, huge wooden buildings
erected, and just as swiftly when the festival ended, the city was torn down. Many
of these photos will demonstrate this incredible transformation and immensely
difficult feat. In addition, Prayag’s geographical importance is related to the
festivals astrological significance, which will be briefly explained in this chapter
along with some history of the city.
CHAPTER THREE: THE GATHERING

Chapter three is known as The Gathering, which refers to the gathering of the
millions and millions of pilgrims, saints, sadhus, Nagas, sages, and observers
who journey to the banks of the Sangam from all walks of life and from all
corners of the globe. The immense gathering of souls here brings an intense
energy to the place, which can only be felt by those who attended the festival.
This chapter has been divided into the following two sections:

a. Nagas, Babas, Saints, and Gurus

The festival flows with ascetics, holy men and women, spiritual leaders, and
especially monks known as Nagas. Nagas are spiritual warriors who are easily
identified with their long matted hair, often carrying weapons such as Shiva's
trident, and are known as Digambras (sky-clad) meaning they are always naked.
Many sadhus are seen carrying out vows and spiritual penances such as holding
their arm up for ten years, or walking on shoes of nails, or even laying all day and
night on beds of thorns. Other sages only come down to civilization every twelve
years from their mountaintop or jungle homes to take part in this important
celebration. Because of this so many pilgrims come in hopes of learning age-old
wisdom from these enlightened souls. The text in this section will explain who
these spiritual aspirants are and relate some of the philosophies behind their
traditions.

b. The Pilgrims
Just as important though, are the common pilgrims who journey here, often
encountering difficult hardships, many traveling hundreds and hundreds of miles
on foot carrying only their essential belongings on their heads. Their immense
devotion, a devotion without bounds, brings these millions of people here and is
one of the real jewels of the festival. The sheer number of people in attendance
is a testament to their faith. Men, women, the young and the old, people of all
castes, religions, and races, mix freely here.

CHAPTER FOUR: THE UNIVERSE OF THE KUMBH MELA

The Universe of the Kumbh Mela is truly a universe of its own. It is unique to
India, and provides a unique look into Indian culture. All aspects of Indian culture
are represented here, the best and worst, a macrocosm of the entire country.
Although the ritual bath is the major event of this festival, there are millions of
other activities going on including religious discussions, devotional singing, mass
feeding of holy men/women and the poor, and religious assemblies where
doctrines are debated and standardized. For this 41day period people put aside
their daily lives and join in this timeless universe.

This chapter will explain and illustrate the daily happenings and activities of the
Kumbh Mela and what makes it its own universe.
BIOGRAPHY

VIKAS MALHOTRA
aboriginalproductions@hotmail.com
718.387.1670

Vikas is a recent graduate of Hampshire College, located in Amherst MA with a

MBA in Anthropology and Multimedia Production. His earlier work was entitled
KATTARIVU: WISDOM FROM THE FOREST, an Enhanced CD-ROM exploring
the folk and tribal traditions of Kerala, located in South India. He received a large
grant from the Lemelson National Foundation, and his work was recently
exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. His anthropology
background dealt largely in the cultures of India and Africa, and he has spent
considerable time in the last few years researching in India where his own
cultural heritage and understanding of the language give him a unique
perspective on the country and its culture. He is also well versed in many areas
of multimedia including audio and video production, photography, and web/print
design. Vikas is currently living in New York City and is producing a
documentary film on the Kumbh Mela.