India: Inside a Kumbh Mela Hindu pilgrimage to Ganges River

DW (English)

More than 400 million Hindu pilgrims are expected to participate in the largest gathering in human history: India's Maha Kumbh Mela religious festival. DW follows one couple’s spiritual journey to wash away their sins in the Ganges River.

Transcript

00:00pilgrims arrive at this railway station in Priyagrai city. Ramesh and Manju are among

00:10millions of devotees embarking on a spiritual journey at this year's Mahakumbh Mela. A farming

00:17couple from the poor eastern state of Odisha who saved every penny for the last few years

00:23to attend the festival, the biggest religious gathering on earth. It was a long journey but

00:30after reaching the holy land of Priyagraj all the fatigue and tiredness vanished. I'm really

00:35excited about it. Will you take us to the Kumbh Mela? The couple looks for a rickshaw to take

00:41them to the Mahakumbh. After an hour of wait they finally manage to get a ride.

00:48Ramesh and Manju have been waiting for decades to be at the Mahakumbh. A promise Ramesh made to

00:54his wife on the day of their marriage 20 years ago. They both look around in disbelief trying

01:01to convince themselves that this is not just another dream. It was my dream to come to Kumbh

01:09Mela. If it were not for Manju we would not be here today. She planted this dream in my heart.

01:16I consider my wife a goddess who inspired me to take this holy journey.

01:22As the reality of their arrival sinks in the rickshaw comes to a halt at the entrance of the

01:27Mahakumbh Mela grounds. Finally the moment has arrived. They join the crowd of spiritual devotees

01:34streaming in feeling blessed. On their way to the banks of the holy river Ganges they pass by the

01:42temporary tent city. The area is plastered with billboards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

01:49whose Hindu nationalist BJP party is heavily invested in organizing the mega event.

01:56But Ramesh doesn't mind the political undertones of this religious festival.

02:01Prime Minister Modi has done great work for the Mahakumbh Mela. We salute him a billion times

02:06from our heart. Now we have reached here at the heart of the festival and we are heading and

02:11waiting to see the sacred rivers. As they approach the banks of the sacred river they pay their respects.

02:24After 36 hours of journey they decide to take a brief rest.

02:32Overpowered with emotions Manju says she's contemplating the meaning of being here.

02:41I can feel the spiritual power of the Kumbh. I haven't taken the holy dip yet but I can sense a

02:47deep connection with God. We have come to wash our sins that we committed in our past lives.

02:54We have come this far to seek forgiveness for our ancestors and pray for the future of our children.

03:05Then the couple gets ready for the holy bath that's considered auspicious in Hinduism.

03:11For Hindus like Manju and Ramesh taking the holy dip cleanses their soul and helps attain salvation.

03:20It's very cold but we're here for the blessings of the Ganges.

03:29At the banks Ramesh and Manju step away from the crowd and sit together to enjoy this very

03:35special moment in their lives. They light some lamps to express their gratitude

03:42for the memories that they started to build two decades ago.

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