SUCH a JOY watching our Sacred Journey on PBS tonight. On February 10, 2013~ 30 million pilgrims gathered in Allahabad, India to bathe in the holy water the sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati Rivers. According to Hindu mythology, the gods spilled a drop of the nectar of immortality at this spot - which can be accessed during such auspicious times - and every 12 years, 100,000,000 pilgrims come over the course of one month to bathe at this sacred place. The 2013 Maha (or great) Kumbh was said to be the most sacred in 144 years, following the Vedic calendar. By some twist of fate or karmic order, I was blessed to join a group of American pilgrims on their journey to this Maha Kumbh Mela. Id initially been invited to India on a global health trip - at the same time of this festival. As I learned about the Kumbh, I wanted to go, but didnt want to venture to this massive makeshift city alone, a foreigner in a land so different from my own, a conspicuous female traveler not knowing the language. Then, one dawn, at a chai stand in Rishikesh (a beautiful city on the Ganges River, nestled in the Himalayan foothills), I met a jolly, warm-hearted group of travelers from Miami, at a chai stand. They told me of their upcoming trip to the Kumbh, and magically had an extra seat on the bus. The next day, I literally climbed aboard and joined this wonderful new family - for a voyage that surpassed all my wildest expectations. Delayed by many hours (I quickly learned that only 6 more hours is a mantra used by Indian bus drivers to describe a trip that may take 12-18 hours more), we took a detour to the beautiful town of Mathura, Lord Krishnas birthplace, according to the Vedas, where one of our group members literally ran into her sister (who happened to be visiting India on a completely different itinerary). Such are the type of magical coincidences that filled this crazy journey. Finally, after several days journey, we ended up at the Kumbh. Words cant describe the incredible sights we saw in this literal sea of humanity, nor how moving it was to witness people of all ages and social classes - many of whom journeyed for days in conditions much more challenging than ours - to take part in this sacred bath, which is supposed to provide a karmic cleanse. To my fellow pilgrims- we bathed at the sangam, conversed with international pilgrims, studied with sages, survived a major flood, drank lots of chai, sang our hearts out, dove deep, joined the masses, and prayed alone. So grateful to have shared this challenging, riveting, beautiful, transformative, and deeply moving experience at humanitys largest gathering with you. And, so glad PBS captured some of this journey and shared it on the airwaves tonight (even if they did refer to me as a 23-year old med student ;) Simmering in joy and tremendous gratitude, Jamie
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 03:49:07 +0000
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