Dating : A Leap of Faith

Arriving late into the night, I get dropped off under the bridge that crosses the two banks of the Ganges river in Prayagraj. It is cold, a low haze hangs in the air, filled with dust, smoke and, the brightness of the white led light illuminating what felt like a sea of tents. Here I was at my first Kumbh Mela, an event known as the “largest religious gathering in the world.”

As I made my way to locate my camp amongst the many campsites along the river banks, I felt lost. Not only were the majority of the signs in Hindi, which I could not read, but the few people I came across did not know where my camp was.

After making a few calls and getting lost a few times, I finally reached my campsite. There, I met fellow German videographer Maciej with whom I was going to share the tent for the next three nights.

The next day, I started out exploring the various section of the event grounds. I made my way around the campsite, seeing pilgrims praying and engaging with each other on this important. During the day, I made it to the confluence. Now, this where the major part of ceremonies will be held. It is considered a sacred site where three holy rivers go through the city and where ceremonials baths are held.

Navigating my way around; tents, camps, “akhara,” and the waves of pilgrims departing and arriving is overwhelming. An entire generation of family members and people from all walks of life making the journey. I was moved by witnessing a group of elderly believers partaking in the holy baths and offering rituals on the Ganges.