Visuals
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.
Kumbh 1
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.
Animation
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.
VR
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.
Animation
The Pir of Datt Akhara, Paramanand Puri Ji, rides 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.
VR
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.