Religion

Kumbh Mela: A Sacred Journey of Faith and Devotion

Kumbh Mela: A Sacred Journey of Faith and Devotion

This mass pilgrimage of faith, in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river, is the greatest gathering of mankind on earth. Over 130 million attended at this time last year. A literal sea of humanity. They are relentless and unstoppable. Carrying their possessions on their heads, they descend upon Hinduism’s holiest place, the confluence, or Sangam, of India’s two holiest rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna, and a third mystical underground river, the Saraswaiti.

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On Holy Water – a Photoessay

On Holy Water – a Photoessay

For the 80% of Indians who are Hindu, the River Ganges is considered sacred, her water holy. In the ancient city of Varanasi, the ghats that form the river's edge teem with pilgrims and devotees who come for a ritual dip in the Ganges in this holiest of cities. The scene is spiritual and, at the same time festive. The streets and ghats are chaotic. The sounds and smells overwhelm the senses. Yet, in spite of the masses of people, there are moments of solitude, aloneness.

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