Kumba Mela from the water

Well, I survived the Kumba Mela. I didn't just survive it - I had a great time most of the time. We arrived in a throng of people heading out to the street. It was chaotic! This picture doesn't do it justice. In the thick of the crowd, it was too much to try and take a picture.

Heading from the train station to the streets of Prayagraj

We hired a tuktuk and I thought we were heading off to a restaurant for breakfast. Our plan was to eat a big breakfast, and see how long that would last us. One of the challenges of not speaking the native tongue is I'm not always clued in on changes to the plan. I'm practicing going with the flow more, and it is a challenge for my issues with power and control. LOL!

I became aware of the change in plans when the tuktuk entered the grounds of the Kumba Mela. That's when my Indian friend told me that we were going to spend some time at the Kumba Mela and then go back out into the town of Prayag for breakfast. It was a tough moment... here we were, not even there for 30 minutes yet, and one of my fears was coming to fruition. I was feeling really hungry... what happened to our plan?!?

I had some options on how to handle the unexpected change. I could let my fear take the wheel and freak out. I could get quiet and withdraw. I could get hangry, which wasn't far off given my current state. I opted to gently insist that we find somewhere to eat first. The thing is, most restaurants in India are open until the early hours of the morning. They don't reopen until 10 or 11am. I couldn't understand how it could be so difficult to to find a place to eat breakfast. My friend explained to me that most people eat on the streets before the restaurants open. There were certainly plenty of street vendors around. But, I don't do the street food, so we had to figure something else out.

Now you need to know that right underneath that gentle insisting was a slightly panicky and hangry Kushala. Fortunately, she never showed her face. We found a place that opened at 8:30 and had some dosa for breakfast. One of my favorites. Whew!

It worked out well, because we were on the other side of town and close to the shores of the Yamuna River. That is one of three rivers that meet at the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and legendary Saraswati rivers. Each of the three rivers symbolizes a different aspect of life. The Ganga represents purity, the Yamuna devotion, and the Saraswati wisdom.

You can see the color difference in the two rivers. The Ganga is the greenish brown river on the bottom, and the Yamuna is the blue river on the top. The Saraswati River is underground, having dried up hundreds of years ago.

From this shore, we hired a boat to take us to the sangam, which is also called the Prayag. We could have joined a boat of 8 other people for 800 rupees apiece, or hire a private boat for 3000 rupees. The private boat was a great call!

The shores of the Yamuna river

On our way to the prayag!

It was chilly in the 50's, so I bunded up a bit. The sangam (also called the prayag) is the most auspicious place to take the holy bath. This sacred dip provides profound healing and transformation. It is said that if you bathe in the river at the Kumba Mela you will clear all your negative karma, heal emotional wounds and balance your doshas (body constitution).

There was a bit of traffic on the river!

The blue floating things create lanes for the boat traffic in both directions.

Getting close to the bathing area

It's a little crowded

Our boatman managed to work his way up to the dock - well done!

You might be wondering if I took the holy bath at the meeting of the three rivers. I considered it, strongly. I feel like I have Indian blood coursing through my veins - lol! At the same time, I'd heard enough tales of how sick people got after bathing in those waters. I decided I didn't want to risk it, given I was at the very beginning of my time here in India. I opted to stay in the boat and meditate while my friend took the bath. It was a powerful and meaningful experience for them, and I was happy to be there to witness it.

Meditating at the prayag was a deep experience

After the bath, our boatmen both jumped in to row us back. The traffic on the river had picked up. I enjoyed the sights as we cruised along.

I was moved by all the different flags flying - I'm not sure what groups they represent

Some of the Kumba Mela from the river

Boat traffic and seagulls

Seagulls play a part in the Kumba Mela as well. The gulls gather along the banks of the Ganga by the thousands, and create some breathtaking formations. They say the birds are drawn by the festival's spiritual energy and offerings from pilgrims. Based on what I know of seagulls from living at the Delaware beaches, I wonder whether it is the energy or the offerings that draw the seagulls more.

This is the offering to the seagulls. There are several rowboats cruising around the river with piles of these crunchy snacks. The seagulls love them, of course!

Laundry laid out to dry, and the cows to the left. I wonder if the cows live there, or if they traveled with their owners to provide milk and enjoy the Kumba Mela

I was struck by the beauty of these steps leading from the bridge down to the river

Stay tuned for more from the Kumba Mela! It's time for some ujjayi and meditation club now. At home, meditation club is from 6:30-7:30am. Here it's from 5pm-6pm. Namaste