Kumbha Mela Advice

[American Baba]

I am going to attend several days of the Kumbha Mela in a couple of months.  I am wondering what advice anyone can give me to get the most out of the experience.

[adamantclearlight]

leave your clothes in your bag

Adamant

[Kirtanman]

quote:Originally posted by R108

I am going to attend several days of the Kumbha Mela in a couple of months.  I am wondering what advice anyone can give me to get the most out of the experience.

Umm ... "remember where you park."



(For anyone who may not know, the Kumbha Mela is the largest gathering. Of all of them. Gatherings, that is. Literally. As in: the most humans in a single place, anywhere, ever.)

Seriously?

Go with the flow; no kidding.

The levels of Shakti, Bhakti and Enlightenment are unprecedented, there.

There's no parallel, no reference point, and I doubt anyone who hasn't been there, me included, can tell you anything of value regarding the experience.

Much like a Grateful Dead concert.

Just a lot more free, wild and mind expanding.



Here's a good video from Paramahamsa Nithyananda on the Kumbh Mela, specifically the one in 2007.

A kinda big-deal one (even though they all are) ..... the Ganges river literally flows backwards, during it ........ something it does only once ever one hundred twenty-five years.

I hope this is helpful.

Wholeheartedly,

Kirtanman

[miguel]

I would like to share this absolutely full of bhakti video about 2001 maha kumbha mela. No words,only images and some music.Less is more.Much more.Watch here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1122499369539487337#

Namaste![]

[krcqimpro1]

Hi Miguel, beware of all kinds of touts who will promise you all kinds of spiritual experiences ! And take good care of your wallet and don't carry any kind of ornament(gold ring, gold chain etc.) Pick-pockets have a field day there. Carry your own padlock if you are planning to stay at a "hotel", and also carry a chain and lock to secure your baggage to something "solid" in your room, like a metal bed-post.Don't carry soft suitcases. Don't accept "prasadam" from anybody, unless a lot of people are also accepting from the same source. Better to be safe than sorry. With these precautions, it should be chaotic fun. If you are using a hired vehicle with driver for yourself, ensure that the driver has a cell phone and you can call him to locate him when you want. I hope you know at least a smattering of Hindi. If you are blessed, you may even meet Mahavatar Babaji there!

Krish

[John C]

I just got back from India last week. We traveled to Kumbha Mela while in Rishikesh, as well as 9 days at Varanasi. We found several locations (power spots) that were profoundly conducive to meditation. Varanasi is the sacred city of India and I would recommend it highly to meditators. (Kumbha Mela was more of a parade and circus experience by comparison.)  We did meditation on death at the cremation ghats at Varanasi on the Ganga. It was quite an experience to watch bodies become cremated over just several hours.  We threw ourselves into the water in the upper Ganges above Rishikesh while white water rafting, satisfying the advice to bath in the Ganges. It was a great trip. I could recommend lodging and tour guides if anyone is traveling to Varanasi and or Rishikesh. We plan to return there next year as well.

[Akasha]

Take your sandals. The water's real muddy as you wade in.

[John C]

The Ganges is pure glacial melt water above Rishikesh.  Take you teva sandals for sure, but there is no mud nor pollution in the upper Ganges. In fact, we were driven for several hours north of Rishikesh along the road paralleling the Ganges, to the place where two glacial tributaries join into one Ganges River.  I think the town at this place is called Yamunya.  It is an especially auspicious place to visit and do puja, standing on the ghat steps, with your feet in the water, repeat the sanskrit words the Brahmin priest recites, and then to toss the rose petals into the river.  There was a large school of what appeared to be salmon swimming in formation at this confluence. Very beautiful.  No mud, just blessings.

[Etherfish]

John c wrote:
"We threw ourselves into the water in the upper Ganges above Rishikesh while white water rafting, satisfying the advice to bath in the Ganges"

Now you have my attention! I love white water rafting, and have had near-death experiences that are exhilarating! Is that spiritual? For me it is.

[Mark Lehman]

The most important is take care of your self first.

Lehman.