(19) What is Kumbh Mela? Cos'e' il Kumbh Mela?

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What is Kumbh Mela?

Kumbh Mela is the festival of gods.

Children posing

Kumbh Mela is one of the most ancient and largest festivals on earth.

Basically, Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage in which believers gather to bathe in a river considered sacred.

It takes place every third year at one of the following four places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik and Ujjain. Kumbh Mela is so held at each of them every twelfth year.

The sacred rivers are: the Ganges (Haridwar), the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati (Allahabad), the Godawari (Nasik) and the Shipra (Ujjain).

In Hindi Kumbh means pitcher and Mela means fair - meaning gathering, exhibition.

The gathering is held for about one and a half month at each of these four places where it is believed that drops of nectar fell from the Kumbh carried by gods after the sea was churned.

Sadhus - literally good man and also referred to as babas - are the highlight of the festival. The author G. Flood defines them as Hindu mystic men who chose to live a life apart from or on the edges of society in order to focus on their own spiritual practice. 

The sadhu dedicates his life to achieve liberation (moksa) through meditation and contemplation.

Among the sadhus, the naga babas (the naked ones) enjoy particular prestige and are normally granted an advantageous position near the rivers.

Blessed by babas

Maha Kumbh Mela 2013

The 2013 festival was a Maha Kumbh Mela (Great Kumbh Mela) which is celebrated each 144 years only in Allahabad.

The whole gathering spread over an area of many kilometers full of shelters and camps for people to sleep, pray and meditate.

Journalists, photographers and travelers from abroad joined Indian babas, pilgrims, spectators, vendors and beggars in the celebration of the event.

According to the Hindu Times, the main bathing day - 10 February - was likely the largest gathering on a single day in the history of humanity. 30 million people were estimated on this day whereas 100 million were expected during the whole festival between January and March.

My experience

Going straight to Kumbh Mela as soon as arrived in India was a mind-blowing experience.

In the week there – from 8 to 16 February – I could see the parade, talk with babas, hear legends about them and see some of the crazy things they can do with their mind and body.

An example of a legend about babas is on their age. Some sadhus are said to be centuries old.

Babas smoking Chilum Pipes

This is possible because – according to hindu tradition - each of us is born with a certain amount of breaths. Through meditation they can slow down the respiration's pace and breath only once each few hours or days and so use less breaths and live much longer.

At Kumbh Mela you can see babas proudly showing their mind power. Through a hard mind work they can endure extreme physical pain. So they can for example pierce their genitals with a pole on which two men stand. Or others can remain a long time completely wrapped in thorns.

Most of them sat aside a fire while sipping chai and smoking marijuana. Using marijuana is a form of worship of Shiva who was believed to have an adoration for the leaves of this plant.

Some sadhus I encountered – contrary to what I had expected – are eccentric men with a big ego.

Some of them are treated as kings by their disciples and they like to attract attention through strange rituals or clothing and enjoy being photographed.

[To be continued in the next post...]

Versione Italiana

Man watching the fair

Cos'e' il Kumbh Mela?

Kumbh Mela e' il festival degli dei.

Kumbh Mela e' uno dei festival piu' antichi e grandi della terra.

In pratica, il Kumbh Mela e' un pellegrinaggio Hindu tramite il quale i credenti si radunano per fare il bagno in un fiume considerato sacro.

Questo festival ha luogo una volta ogni terzo anno a rotazione in uno dei seguenti posti: Hardiwar, Allahabad, Nasik e Ujjain. Quindi il Kumbh Mela viene tenuuto in ognuna di queste localita' ogni dodici anni.

I sacri fiumi sono: il Gange (Haridwar), la confluenza tra il Gange, lo Yamuna e il Saraswati (Allahabad), il Godawari (Nasik) e il Shipra (Ujjain).

In Hindi, Kumbh significa brocca e Mela significa fiera.

Il raduno dura circa un mese e mezzo in questi luoghi dove si crede che delle gocce di nettare siano cadute dal Kumbh trasportato dagli dei dopo il mescolamento del mare.

Crowd bathing

I sadhus – letteralmente uomini buoni e comunemente chiamati anche babas – sono il centro dell'attenzione durante festival. L'autore G. Flood li definisce uomini mistici Hindu che hanno scelto di vivere una vita lontano o ai margini della societa' in modo da potersi concentrare sulla propria pratica spirituale. Il Sadhu e' colui che dedica la propria vita al raggiungimento della liberazione (moksa) attraverso la meditazione e la contemplazione.

Tra i sadhus, i cosidetti naga babas (i babas nudi) godono di particolare prestigio e viene loro garantito una posizione vantaggiosa vicino ai fiumi.

Maha Kumbh Mela 2013

Hindu devoted

Il festival del 2013 e' stato un Maha Kumbh Mela (Grande Kumbh Mela) il quale viene celebrato ogni 144 anni solamente ad Allahabad.

L'intera area del raduno era di diversi kilometri ed era caratterizzata da rifugi e campeggi per pregare, meditare e dormire.

Giornalisti, fotografi e viaggitori stranieri si sono uniti ai babas, pellegrini, spettatori, venditori e mendicanti indiani nella celebrazione dell'evento.

Secondo l'Hindu Times, il giorno principale – il 10 febbraio – e' stato probabilmente il piu' grande raduno di persone in un singolo giorno nella storia. Si stimano 30 millioni di persone solo in quel giorno e circa 100 milioni durante tutto il periodo - tra gennaio e marzo.

La mia Esperienza

Andare direttamente al Kumbh Mela, appena arrivato in India, e' stata un'esperienza allucinante.

Durante la settimana trascorsa li' - dall' 8 al 16 Febbrario – ho potuto vedere la parata, parlare con i babas, ascoltare leggende su di loro e vedere alcune delle cose pazze che possono fare con la loro mente ed il loro corpo.

Baba piercing his genitals

Un esempio di leggenda sui babas riguarda la loro eta'. Si dice che alcuni di loro abbiano diversi secoli di eta'. Questo e' possible poiche' – secondo la tradizione hindu – quando ognuno di noi viene al mondo riceve un certo numero di respiri. Attraverso la meditazione i babas possono rallentare il loro respiro e respirare una volta ogni qualche ora o addirittura giorno e quindi usare meno respiri e vivere piu' a lungo.

Al Kumbh Mela si possono anche vedere babas che mostrano orgogliosamente i poteri della loro mente. Attraverso un duro lavoro con la mente possono sopportare dolore fisico estremo. Quindi possono per esempio infilzarsi i genitali con un'asta sulla quale altri due uomini stanno in piedi. O altri possono rimanere a lungo arrotolati nelle spine.

La maggioranza di loro stava seduta di fianco al fuoco mentre sorseggiando te e fumavando marijuana. Usare marijuana e' una forma di venerazione di Shiva, la quale si crede abbia una passione per le foglie di questa pianta.

Alcuni sadhus incontrati – contrariamente a quanto mi aspettavo – sono persone eccentriche con un ego enorme. Alcuni di loro sono trattati come re dai loro discepoli e a cui piace attirare l'attenzione attraverso rituali strani ed essere fotografati.

[Continua nel prossimo post...]



Video of Naga Babas when they left their camp to reach the sacred river

(18) First Impressions of India

7 - 9 February 2013, New Delhi, Allahabad, India

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Sadhus at the Kumbh Mela

I read somewhere that your real education only begins once you start traveling. Well, in this sense during the first days in India I realised that a travel in this land would be a mandatory course for this type of education.

And from the beginning it was clear to me that to really understand the world one should go to India at least once in his life.

Landed in New Delhi on 7 February, I spent the day exploring the surroundings of the train station and trying to gather the first impressions before taking the night train to Allahabad for the famous religious event of Kumbh Mela.

A multitude of impressions, sensations and feelings crowded in me during the first days.

Somehow I felt to belong to this land. And then I remembered the saying that everyone in his past life was at least once an Indian.

With Children at the Kumbh Mela

India is a big theater of humanity and a unique teacher to everyone looking for spiritual meaning.

You can feel life pulsating everywhere in its more instinctual way.

Everywhere is overcrowded. Garbage is everywhere. Cows, wild dogs, goats, pigs, chickens and any kind of animal wander in the street and seem to somehow perfectly know how to move along in the traffic. Garbage is burnt in the street. People do every kind of work in the street. Crowds of people, animals, every kind of imaginable vehicle circulates at slow pace like rivers in the streets of New Delhi.

And then I felt harmony. In the west we need rules and laws. Here they do not really work. Such a mess could not exist without an invisible hand harmoniously keeping everything together.

India is another world: everything and its contrary. India is a smile and a frown. India is the worst stench and the best scent you could ever think of. India is filthy and crystal-clear. India is chaotic harmony. 

India is crazy wisdom.

India is a proud and splendid peacock with shimmering feathers as well as a wild nasty dog, scared of everything and struggling to survive.

Few times in my life the capacity of my mind to remain sane had been challenged as during the first days in India and at the Kumbh Mela.

- Versione Italiana -

New Delhi Train Station

Da qualche parte ho letto che la tua vera istruzione comincia solo quando cominci a viaggiare. In questo senso i primi giorni in India ho realizzato che un viaggio in questa terra sarebbe un corso obbligatorio per questo tipo di istruzione.

E dall'inizio ho anche realizzato che per capire davvero il mondo e' necessario andare in India almeno una volta nella propria vita.

Atterrato a Nuova Delhi il 7 febbraio, ho trascorso il giorno ad esplorare i dintorni della stazione ferroviaria e a cercare ti raccogliere le prime impressioni prima di prendere il treno notturno per Allahabad, per il famoso evento religioso del Kumbh Mela.

Una moltitudine di impressioni, sensazioni e sentimenti si affollavano dentro di me durante i primi giorni.

In qualche modo mi sentivo di appartenere a questa terra. E poi mi sono ricordato il detto che ognuno in almeno una vita passata e' stato indiano.

Young girls at the Kumbh Mela

L'India e' un grande teatro dell'umanita' e insostituibile maestra per coloro in ricerca di spiritualita'.

Si sente la vita vibrare dappertutto nella sua forma piu' istintiva. 

Ovunque e' sovraffollato e pieno di immondizia. Mucche, cani randagi, maiali, capre, galline e ogni tipo di animale gira per le strade e sembra sappia esattamente come muoversi nel traffico. L'immondizia viene bruciata nelle strade. La gente fa ogni tipo di lavoro per strada. Folle di persone, animali, ogni tipo di veicolo possibile circola a passo lento come un fiume per le strade di Nuova Delhi.

E poi si sente armonia. In occidente abbiamo bisogno di regole e leggi. Qui queste non funzionano. Un tale caos non potrebbe esistere senza una mano invisibile che tiene tutto insieme armoniosamente.

A Man bathing in the Gange at the Kumbh Mela

L'India e' un altro mondo: e' tutto ed il suo contrario. L'India e' un sorriso ed un broncio. India e' la peggiore puzza e il miglior profumo immaginabile. L'India e' sudicia ma anche cristallina. L'India e' armonia caotica.

India e' pazza saggezza.

L'India e' come uno stupendo e superbo pavone con piume luccicanti e colorate ed allo stesso tempo un cane randagio, sporco e spaventato di tutto, che combatte per la sopravvivenza quotidiana.

Poche volte nella mia vita la capacita' della mia mente di restare sana e' stata messa alla prova come durante i primi giorni in India e al Kumbh Mela.

(17) Dubai: a huge Shopping Mall

4 - 7 February 2013, Iran, United Arab Emirates

On the evening of 4 February I embarked on a night ferry from Bandar Abbas - South Iran - to Sharjah - in the United Arab Emirates.

Landscape of Dubai from the ferry

Before leaving Iran I tried a silly experiment. In Iran – as elsewhere - the first question posed to foreigners is about their nationality. Europeans are usually well considered in Iran and they are normally warmly welcomed.

Before leaving Iran I wanted to test the normal people's reaction to a citizen of an enemy of their government: Israel - whose citizens cannot even entry the country.

I did it at the port of Bandar-Abbas. And the reaction was firstly an awkward and stiff smile and then they told me “ohhh.. good! Please show me your passport”. In that moment I found out that these people were from the security of the port – but without uniform. After explaining my dummy experiment they let me go without much inquiries but then I realised that it was probably not the smartest thing to do in Iran.

Finally I caught the ferry crowded by Iranians living in Dubai and Arabs coming back from Iran with full shopping bags.

In the morning I woke up early to enjoy sunrise and the view of the nearing landscape of Sharjah and Dubai composed of a multitude of Skyscrapers and huge cranes at construction sites.

On the ferry to Dubai

Comparing to cheap, small scale and comfortable Iran, the UAE boasts tall skyscrapers, immense shopping malls, hotels, high technology everywhere and a melting pot of people from different cultures. All of this immersed in a thriving business environment.

The emirates is a country where contrasts are evident. Women are not obliged to cover their head. So you can see an Arab woman with a black veil covering her body completely beside a Western girl with a mini skirt and with a tight dress.

And apparently it works without many frictions. Indians, Arabs, Westerners, Africans, Asians, Filipinos, Bangladeshis all with their own strong tradition and culture can live together in the same city because – as they say - “everybody is there just to make business”.

And the distance from Iran seems much longer than a night on a ferry. In Iran the feeling is of being at the extreme periphery of the world where people feel isolated and excluded. On the other hand Dubai is a big metropolis such as New York or London. Coming from Iran to Dubai was thus like coming from the last corner on earth to its real core.

In Dubai you can ski inside a supermarket!

Dubai and Sharjah are part of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE owes its huge wealth to its world's seventh-largest oil reserve. Since 1962 the Emirates' society and economy have been transformed by directing oil revenues into healthcare, education and the national infrastructure. The result is clear: the UAE is nowadays an extremely rich and developed country.

Tired by the travel and congestion problems, deafening noises, dazing lights and the shopping frenzy, I felt stressed and nauseated and realised that this was exactly the kind of place I wanted to escape.

Even though I appreciated some aspects of organisation and civilisation I was glad to stay in this big shopping mall for only two days.

After more than 6000 kilometers overland and satisfied that I could travel at least from Turin to Dubai without flying, on Thursday 7 February in the early morning I caught a low-cost flight from Sharjah airport that in few hours brought me to New Delhi!

(16) The Clash of Politics and the Society in Iran - Il Conflitto tra Politica e Societa' in Iran

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The Clash of Politics and the Society in Iran

Since years Iran has intrigued me. I imagined Persia as the backdrop of magical tales in the desert and the cradle of a vast culture and civilization amid three main influences: Europe, Central Asia and Middle East.

Despite the common awareness in Europe of the greatness of the Iranian civilization, the majority of people at home has a superficial knowledge of it.

When thinking of Iran, most people have in mind a dangerous place full of religious fundamentalists, terrorists and even an underdeveloped country.

Well, after five weeks in the country I am sure of one thing: these preconceptions are wrong. You should forget how the news in the west depict Iran. Not only is this country one of the safest countries I have encountered so far, but also probably one of the most hospitable ones.

People in Iran are so naively enthusiastic about foreigners that they appear to have almost an inferiority complex towards them. Iranians feel isolated from the rest of the world and know that the only ones to be blamed are those in their government.

The striking characteristic lies exactly in this contrast: how is it possible that this hospitable and open people is coupled to such a xenophobic government?

And also, how is it possible that a secularised society with a culture that strives towards beauty - visible in poetry, art, music but also in how Iranians take care of their personal appearance - is coupled to such sanctimonious government?

By looking at history, these contrasts actually make sense. The Shah who was overthrown in the last 1970s was first of all deemed responsible of placing Iran in a position of cultural and political submission towards the rest of the world, especially the west.

Hence, I believe that such a conservative and xenophobic government can be explained as the reaction of an extremely hospitable and open society and culture. Such regime is probably the unconscious safeguard of this society that risks more than others the annexation and annihilation into the mainstream globalisation led by western values.

I too believe that to truly understand Iran one has to recognise the connectedness of these clashing characteristcs of the country. In fact, far from being separated as the expression of two different contrasting parts within the society - secularised and conservative – they are, in my opinion, highly interrelated.

Therefore, analysis aiming at truly grasping the strict Islamic regime must keep into account the logic of action-reaction. Thus the Islamic revolution was first of all the gut-driven violent reaction of the Iranian society to its own openness. And fervently harking back to traditional values represents the means of the culture to reaffirm its own identity in order to prevent its own demise.

Il Conflitto tra Politica e Societa' in Iran

L'Iran e' un paese che mi ha affascinato per anni. Immaginavo la Persia come lo sfondo di magiche storie ambientate nel deserto e la culla di una vasta cultura e civilizzazione a cavallo di tre principali sfere di influenza: Europa, Asia Centrale e Medio Oriente.

Nonostante in Europa si sia in qualche modo consapevoli dell'importanza della civilizzazione Iraniana, la maggior parte delle persone ne ha tuttavia una conoscenza superficiale.

Quando si pensa all'Iran, la maggioranza lo ritiene un paese pericoloso e addirittura sottosviluppato e pieno di fondamentalisti religiosi e terroristi.

Ebbene, dopo cinque settimane trascorse in questo paese posso assicurare una cosa: questi preconcetti sono sbagliati. Dimenticatevi delle rappresentazioni dei media occidentali. Questo paese non e' solamente uno dei posti piu' sicuri in cui sono stato ma anche uno dei piu' ospitali.

Gli iraniani sono cosi' ingenuamente entusiasti degli stranieri che sembrano avere quasi un complesso di inferiorita' nei loro confronti. Si sentono isolati dal resto del mondo e sono consapevoli che gli unici colpevoli per questa situazione sono quelli nel loro governo.

L'aspetto che piu' di tutti mi ha colpito e' proprio questo contrasto: com'e' possibile che tale ospitalita' e apertura sia associata ad un governo cosi' xenofobico?

E in aggiunta, come e' possibile che una societa' cosi' secolarizzata e moderna che possiede una cultura che mira alla bellezza - nell'arte, nella musica, nella poesia ma anche nella cura del proprio aspetto fisico – sia associata ad un governo cosi' bigotto?

Tuttavia, guardando la storia questi contrasti diventano comprensibili. Lo Shah che e' stato deposto alla fine degli anni 1970 era prima di tutto considerato responsabile di aver messo l'Iran in una posizione di sottomissione culturale e politica nei confronti del resto del mondo, soprattutto occidentale.

Un governo cosi' conservatore e xenofobico puo' esser spiegato come la violenta reazione di una societa' e cultura estremamente ospitabili ed aperte. Tale regime e' l'espressione di preservazione di una societa' che rischia piu' di altre l'annessione e l'annicchilimento nel mainstream globalizzato guidato da valori occidentali.

Credo anche che per capire davvero l'Iran sia necessario riconoscere anche come questi aspetti contrastanti del paese siano in relazione tra loro. Caratteristiche che, lungi dall'essere separate in quanto espressione di due istanze contrapposte della societa' (conservazione e secolarizzazione), sono in realta' altamente interconnesse.

E che quindi ogni analisi che cerchi di capire veramente il regime della repubblica islamica debba tener conto della logica di azione-reazione. Percio' la rivoluzione islamica e' stata prima di tutto la fervente reazione di pancia della societa' iraniana alla propria estrema apertura.

E rifarsi ardentemente ai valori tradizionali della religione e' il mezzo della cultura che cerca di riaffermare la propria identita' per prevenire l'annientamento.

(15) Advices about Iran

Iran is a wonderful and – contrary to what commonly believed – safe country to explore.

Nevertheless, given the particular political situation some things should be born in mind when planning to go there.

One basic thing has to be reminded: Iran is formally isolated from the rest of the world. 

However, this is only on paper because in reality most of Iranians I came across are extremely enthusiastic about foreigners and try to get all the possibilities to go oversea.

The following are the main practical aspects to be kept in mind before going to Iran:

- Iran follows the astral calendar and – contrary to other countries - the Christian calendar is not considered at all. Hence, standard New Year's Eve is not celebrated and the Iran is currently in year 1391. On 21 March 2013 commences year 1392.

-  Likewise other Muslim countries the week's holiday is Friday - instead of Sunday - and so the weekend is composed of Thursday and Friday. Sunday is a very normal working day.

- Iran is closed off the international banking system. This means that none of credit and bank cards work in Iran. However, a well functioning system of ATM only for Iranian banks' users is in place. Hence, as foreigner you will need to bring your cash in euros or dollars and change it once inside the country.

Travelling through Iran (here the desert)

- Two different exchange rates are in place: the official and the market one. The official one is set by the government and is rather high. However, currency exchange offices are allowed to buy and sell at market price – which is about three times higher than the official one and hence extremely advantageous for holders of foreign currencies.

- For this reason, going to Iran is extremely affordable for Europeans. Basically you will find cost of living of a third world country coupled with a quality of services of a (almost) developed one. For example I could get a ticket for a VIP bus - with meal and comfortable seats - travelling for 600 kilometres for about 5 euro.

- Iran currency is very confusing. The official currency is Rial but everybody talks about Tomans which is basically the same currency just without a zero at the end.

- Alcohol is illegal but rather easy to find on the black market.

- All women – even foreign - need to wear a scarf covering at least half of their head. Most of Iranian women especially in cities wear this type of scarf that partially show their hair and that is characteristic and actually beautiful.

- Internet has strong limitations. Facebook, blogger, international news websites, websites referring to sex or other religions are blocked. However, most of Iranians know how to bypass the control through a VPN or a proxy connection.

Finally, Iran is a country extremely friendly towards foreigners. During my stay I never experienced any trouble and even police officers treated me particularly well