15 Million take sacred dip during Shahi Snan - Ujjain Kumbh Mela 2016
Every street and alleyway in Ujjain is jammed packed with jubilant pilgrims as a city of close to 500,00 inhabitants welcomes 15 million guests.
For 18 hours, beginning at 2:30 am when the auspicious time for the sacred bathing begins, this massive flood of the faithful moves in a slow, steadfast, overwhelming current towards the main bathing ghat of Datt Akhara on the banks of River Kshipra. 15 million people of all colors, religions, classes, castes, genders, and ages, all walking towards the river.
All of them … lost.
Their diverse identities forged into one unyielding mass.
Piercing this current, the Naga Babas of Juna Akhara accompanying our devata, Guru Dattatreya with flower draped bhala spears, lead a procession of all the mahatmas of India & their devotees, that will continue until after sunset.
This is known as the Shahi Snan, the Imperial Bath, conquering the 4 directions.
Pir Ji meets Devata at Ghat
Completing the 3.5 kilometer procession, the Naga Babas accompanying Guru Dattatreya arrive on the ghat as the Pir of Datt Akhara reaches on his elephant.
The Pir of Datt Akhara, Paramanand Puri Ji, climbs atop an elephant, followed by his pujari, Anand Puri, at the threshold gate of the Akhara.
He makes a grand circle around the contours of the encampment surrounding the akhara, followed by his devotees and assorted Naga Babas.
The Pir’s procession meets the Devata’s julus at the entrance to the ghat.
Walking next to the elephant in the midst of the now ecstatic Naga Babas, I appreciate just how well trained was that elephant & how disciplined he was in all that chaos, for one little swing of his tail, and dozens of us would be knocked down the steps & into the Kshipra.
Graciously, the elephant bends her knees & sits on the top of the ghat as the Pir descends to cheers of
” Hara Hara Mahadev! “
Pir Ji is ritually bathed by the Akhara Purohit, Shailendra Vedika, first with the waters of the Kshipra, then with fragrant oils, as several purohits gather around our Devata, Guru Dattatreya, & together with Shri Maharaj Macchendar Puri Ji, Secretary Narayan Giri Ji and other elders among the Naga Babas, we bathe our devata.
The many thousands of Naga Babas of Juna Akhara swarm onto the Kshipra Ghat, & dive into the river once the initial abhishek is completed.
The VIDEO of that 2nd Shahi Snan in Ujjain 2016 ...
I narrate the video.
My Slideshows & Galleries of the 2016 Kumbh Mela
2016 Kumbh Akhara Slideshow & Galleries
2016 Kumbh Akhara Slideshow & Galleries
2016 Ujjain Kumbh Shahi Snan Slideshow
2016 Ujjain Kumbh Shahi Snan Slideshow
2016 Ujjain Kumbh Mela
Photos & videos of the 2016 Simhastha Kumbh Mela in the ancient city of Ujjain, home to Mahakaleshwar, right across the Kshipra from Datt Akhara.
The Pir of Datt Akhara after Shahi Snan
The PIR of Datt Akhara Shri Mahant Mangalanand Puri and I receive blessings from our Pir and guru bhai, Paramanand Puri Ji Maharaj, at the dhuni and gadi of Datt Akhara in Ujjain, at the time of the second shahi snan. Pir Ji comes from a long lineage of “pirs”