0:00:05 > 0:00:09February 2013. Allahabad, India.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Over the next 55 days,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16nearly 100 million people will come here to the great Kumbh Mela.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23This incredible and awe-inspiring celebration of the world's
0:00:23 > 0:00:27oldest religion happens every 12 years,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31at the place where Hindus believe two sacred rivers meet.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36- No better place to pray than the Ganges.- Yeah.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Can't get much more religious than that.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44For Hindus, this is one of their most important festivals
0:00:44 > 0:00:46and it happens at this holy site.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51At the time of the Kumbh Mela, at the point of the confluence of the
0:00:51 > 0:00:56rivers, a space opens up between this world and the spiritual.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Hindus come to cleanse themselves in the sacred waters
0:01:02 > 0:01:03of the River Ganges.
0:01:06 > 0:01:12To pray and emerge purified and renewed.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16There is something very powerful about this place. There is an energy.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24We follow British pilgrims as they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime
0:01:24 > 0:01:25spiritual journey.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I'm hoping that I will go there and I will be absorbed in this festival
0:01:28 > 0:01:33and see how other people convey Hinduism, how they practise it.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40I really want to go to Kumbh, because as a Hindu, I feel
0:01:40 > 0:01:44I want to experience the spiritual aspects of my religion.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46I'm looking to be inspired,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49maybe leave with some sort of permanent change in my life.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55A journey that will take them into the heart of Hinduism.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Its philosophy, its beliefs, its traditions.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03We are talking about passing things down thousands
0:02:03 > 0:02:04and thousands of years.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08A journey that will culminate in the largest
0:02:08 > 0:02:12gathering of humans in one place, ever.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35Every 12 years, Hindus gather here, on the banks of the River Ganges.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39They believe that the great river descended
0:02:39 > 0:02:41from the mystical world to this one.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Its waters are therefore considered pure and purifying.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51The ritual significance of the Ganges
0:02:51 > 0:02:54is that it is seen as a place where
0:02:54 > 0:02:56pilgrims in this life may
0:02:56 > 0:02:59purify themselves of sins that they may have accrued.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20The first of the spectacular processions that marks
0:03:20 > 0:03:23the opening of the Kumbh Mela is underway.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Over the next 55 days, it is estimated that
0:03:31 > 0:03:35a staggering 100 million people will spend some time here.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Nearly 30 million will be here in 10 days' time, to take part
0:03:44 > 0:03:49in one of the high points of the Mela, a mass bathe in the Ganges.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55The Kumbh Mela is literally the Festival of the Pitcher.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58The pitcher is that in which
0:03:58 > 0:04:00the nectar of immortality is supposed
0:04:00 > 0:04:04to have been found and fought over by the Gods and the Demons.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Some drops of it fell to Earth.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13And the places where it fell are places where the Kumbh Mela
0:04:13 > 0:04:15is now celebrated.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31There are millions here, from all over the world.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36Some simply want to experience the sheer numbers, the magnitude
0:04:36 > 0:04:37and the spectacle.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41But the majority are pilgrims drawn here for spiritual reasons.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Helen O'Hagan has been in India for the last three months,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57living in a yoga centre.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Born in Britain and brought up in a Catholic family,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09she recently gave up her job as a business development manager
0:05:09 > 0:05:11in an international law firm.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14I was reasonably happy day-to-day in my job.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17But there was something missing.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I kind of felt, am I being really irresponsible here?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Because I'm in a very privileged situation,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24in that I have a really good job,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27but it became such a burning
0:05:27 > 0:05:30within me that it was almost a choiceless decision.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35You know, I'm 34 in a couple of days and all my friends around me
0:05:35 > 0:05:38are having babies and getting married and everything.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42My family are very supportive of me being here.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45I don't think they completely understand why I'm here,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47but they just want me to be happy.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51I just knew that I needed to take some time in my life
0:05:51 > 0:05:53to dedicate myself to the spiritual path.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Since the heady days of flower power in the '60s and '70s,
0:06:01 > 0:06:07Westerners have been heading East in search of spiritual enlightenment.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12At the forefront of that movement were the Beatles.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21They embraced Hindu practices, like meditation and yoga.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Their enthusiasm inspired many people to explore
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Hindu spirituality and practice for themselves.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33One of those who made that journey and never went home
0:06:33 > 0:06:35is American, Baba Rampuri.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39I grew up in Beverly Hills, California.
0:06:40 > 0:06:46From my entry into India, more than 43 years ago,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50it was a magical world that I was entering.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56I wanted to reach the, the sharp edges of culture.
0:06:56 > 0:07:02I came here to discover rich, ancient, substantial culture.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09And I got considerably more than I had been wishing for.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14You could say that when I came to India, I was looking for magic
0:07:14 > 0:07:18and mystery in India. And indeed, I found it.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Arriving at the Kumbh Mela is Shivali Bhammer,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30a 26-year-old from London.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Although she has travelled to India many times, she has never been
0:07:34 > 0:07:38to a Hindu festival before, let alone one on this scale.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Oh, my God!
0:07:41 > 0:07:46It looks like an extremely colourful refugee camp, doesn't it?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50You see a lot of people carrying, obviously,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52a lot of goods on their heads.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56I guess it's almost quite humbling in a way that, you know, this is
0:07:56 > 0:08:00what people do, they travel all this way and they don't have much.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03And yet, they believe in something so greatly.
0:08:03 > 0:08:09To me, it's actually just an opportunity to observe and learn
0:08:09 > 0:08:13and see how other people convey Hinduism, how they practise it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Shivali is an economics graduate and former City trader,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27whose husband also works in finance.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33She was born and grew up in London's fashionable Knightsbridge.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Although she was brought up as a Hindu,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40the Kumbh, for Shivali, is a way to discover her Indian roots
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and develop her growing interest in religion.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Since giving up her job in the City,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52she has decided to become a singer of Hindu-inspired pop songs.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57I sing devotional music, because to me, it is
0:08:57 > 0:08:59the sweetest form of singing.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01To me, if you're going to sing,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03sing about good things and virtues
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and greatness, and aspire for something better.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09So, that's what devotional singing is about.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Shivali's parents run a successful business.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16They have maintained strong links with India.
0:09:16 > 0:09:1912 years ago, her mother went to the Kumbh Mela,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22an experience she found quite challenging.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26I mean, of course, it was lovely to see all these saints
0:09:26 > 0:09:30and sadhus who have meditated for years up the Himalayas,
0:09:30 > 0:09:35and they all come down, they all have some sort of strong faith.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40So, it was nice to see that, but it was also sad to see,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44because I just don't like too much poverty, I didn't like to see that.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49For many pilgrims to the Kumbh Mela,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52the most moving part of their trip will be plunging into the sacred
0:09:52 > 0:09:57waters of the Ganges in order to purify themselves of their sins.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02- Shivali is keen to experience this for herself.- Definitely, definitely.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I would like to do that.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08It is meant to cleanse the soul, it is meant to purify you.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10I think the purification is mental.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13I think it is something you decide to do.
0:10:13 > 0:10:20The act of immersing yourself in the Ganga is reinstating that desire.
0:10:21 > 0:10:27Shivali, like most Hindus, worships many gods, goddesses and deities.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32But Hindus believe these gods are all aspects of one divinity.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35The vast majority of Hindus are monotheistic,
0:10:35 > 0:10:40they believe that there is one God, manifest in many different ways.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45All these forms, extremely colourful.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48You walk into any temple and there are smells and sights
0:10:48 > 0:10:51and wonderful manifestations.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55But they are all manifestations of the same spiritual being.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Hindu myths depict many gods, who are worshipped across India
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and around the world.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Including the Goddess Lakshmi, who provides wealth and purity.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Vishnu, who protects the world.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16And Shiva, who transcends the universe
0:11:16 > 0:11:19through his meditation and insight.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24In a West London living room,
0:11:24 > 0:11:29a group of British Hindus prepare to perform ancient rituals of worship.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34In the UK, there are nearly a million Hindus.
0:11:34 > 0:11:40One of them is 39-year-old Dr Manish Pankhania,
0:11:40 > 0:11:41also known as Roshan,
0:11:41 > 0:11:46who is going to the Kumbh Mela for the first time.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51The main reason I'm going is that I have an opportunity to attend
0:11:51 > 0:11:54what is probably one of the greatest events on the face of the Earth,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58with a very special person, that is my spiritual guide, my guru.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02So, it is an opportunity to be part of an amazing festival,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06with the person who has taken responsibility
0:12:06 > 0:12:08for my spiritual path.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10I met my guru at the end of a yoga course.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I was looking for someone and he actually found me.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Often, the guru recognises the disciple before the disciple
0:12:16 > 0:12:18recognises the guru.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21I'd had many teachers before, who imparted knowledge.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23But what I needed was someone
0:12:23 > 0:12:25who could give me his realisation of the divine.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33Roshan has been with his guru, Swami Vishwananda, for the last six years.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38He has high hopes of his journey to the Kumbh.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I will learn something, perhaps something about who
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I really am, perhaps something about my true nature.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50There is something I want to learn, which is, what this
0:12:50 > 0:12:54essence of me is, which is not material, but it is spiritual.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02At the Kumbh, there are now just six days to go
0:13:02 > 0:13:04until the mass bathe.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Among the many pilgrims arriving are groups of Hindu devotional singers.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13This one has come specially
0:13:13 > 0:13:16to perform for the American, Baba Rampuri.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19JOYFUL SINGING
0:13:36 > 0:13:39The great Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43In Hindu belief, that is how long the fight between good
0:13:43 > 0:13:46and evil over the control of immortality lasted.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49The festival goes on for 55 days,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52reflecting the two cycles of the moon.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Hinduism is the largest religion of the Indian subcontinent,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02with nearly a billion followers.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Hinduism is difficult to define initially, because it does not have
0:14:07 > 0:14:11a single founder, a definite set of texts or a single set of beliefs.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14So, from our vantage point in history,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18we can look back and say Hinduism is that dynamic,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23interconnected set of traditions which resemble each other
0:14:23 > 0:14:29and have loosely overlapping sets of beliefs, practices, texts,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33cultural values, norms and aesthetic history.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38It is this long history that draws 100 million Hindus to
0:14:38 > 0:14:42the Kumbh, rich and poor, male and female, young and old.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Pilgrimage is, and has always been, a very compelling practice.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50The idea of travelling for a religious reason
0:14:50 > 0:14:52gives people an incentive,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56as far as the potential for transformation in their lives.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59And the idea of going to the Kumbh, which is understood
0:14:59 > 0:15:01as the holiest time and the holiest place,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03manages to combine all those facets in one.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08This is not a luxurious undertaking for poor pilgrims,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11it is quite an ordeal for them to come and do this.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Why so many and why do they go through this?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18What they are expecting back is blessings,
0:15:18 > 0:15:23because traditionally, this is why they have come,
0:15:23 > 0:15:28and their fathers and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and why they've been coming for thousands of years.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Came here after a long trip from Italy, all the way overland,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59so, many buses, cars and people brought me here, actually.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Many Hindus at the Kumbh have come from all over the world.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Roshan is one of the 25 million Hindus of Indian descent living
0:16:21 > 0:16:26in other countries who come to the Kumbh to connect with their roots.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29He has just arrived here from London.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36So many people, but yet, it's so orderly. That's the nice thing.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I feel so open in my heart, that I have a chance to come here
0:16:39 > 0:16:41and be part of this festival.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57With five days to go until one of the high points of the festival,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00the mass bathe, Kumbh is heaving with people.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02The pilgrims live in a temporary city,
0:17:02 > 0:17:07which has been built on the flood plain where the two rivers meet.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Once the Mela finishes, all this will disappear within weeks.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Those who can afford it rent tents to sleep in.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Many simply camp out in the open.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21At night, the temperature
0:17:21 > 0:17:24often drops to four or five degrees centigrade.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Kumbh is also good for business.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41- Look at all the tents! - The tents are amazing.- Amazing.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45And it's so cold, it's like, ohh!
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Kanan Thakerar is a London-based businesswoman.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55She is here with her niece, Riya, a 22-year-old student.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00We wanted to get here for sunrise, and it's just...
0:18:00 > 0:18:04I can't even put it into words. Amazing, incredible.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07We had read about it for so long and now we are actually here,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09I don't think you could ever prepare for this.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12You see "100 million" on the internet and you think,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16how is it going to be? But it's so calm and peaceful, it's lovely.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Coming from London and kind of anticipating, but I don't think
0:18:19 > 0:18:22you can, you can't really anticipate what this is going to be like.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27By being a Hindu, basically, I want to do the best that I can
0:18:27 > 0:18:30for others and for myself.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34So, it's about being a good person, adhering to certain norms
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and values, and living them.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45Kanan is in the process of setting up a consultancy business.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50She advises companies and businesses interested in establishing
0:18:50 > 0:18:54themselves in the lucrative Indian market.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Our understanding of India is very, very strong, having been there,
0:18:59 > 0:19:00having travelled there.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03I would say, in the past 20 years, I've got
0:19:03 > 0:19:08so much cultural experience, but India is my passion, so I have really
0:19:08 > 0:19:13taken it to heart and really learned how business is done, you know.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Brought up in a traditional, orthodox family,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Kanan is now more of a liberal-minded Hindu,
0:19:18 > 0:19:23but is keen to explore the spiritual side of her faith.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24I've gone through phases in my life
0:19:24 > 0:19:26where I've been more religious or more spiritual.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30But I think that there is an undercurrent,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33we've been brought up with that, so our family is fairly religious.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37So it's in our blood, I think, it's an undercurrent that guides us.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Riya is at university, studying economics.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Her finals are just six months away.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I want to try and prepare myself,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54mentally and spiritually, just before.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57So I think the Kumbh is the best place for me to do that.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00I think it's going to be a good trip.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03If I'm honest, I'm not really that religious.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06I mean, I do go to the temple, but I wouldn't say I go every week.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09I do go, but it's for, like, big occasions.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14100 million people gathering in one place, with that devotion
0:20:14 > 0:20:18and that faith, I think will be incredibly awesome.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23I'd love to see what drives that culture to actually do that.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31The Kumbh Mela not only attracts ordinary Hindus,
0:20:31 > 0:20:36it is also the largest gathering of Hindu holy men, or sadhus,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40who follow traditions which go back nearly 4,000 years.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45They stand out in their saffron-coloured robes,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49the colour symbolising sacrifice and renunciation.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54Sadhus are a leading tradition of renouncers,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59people who give up all ties to their former social life,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02their families, their work,
0:21:02 > 0:21:07and live alone in the world, in search of their spiritual goal.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Baba Rampuri is a sadhu, and for a non-Indian,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14it hasn't been an easy journey.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19I think it took me 20 years before I understood anything.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22That's 20 years living within this environment.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27It's astoundingly complicated and sophisticated,
0:21:27 > 0:21:33and as complicated and sophisticated as a family may be,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37especially extended families, like you find in India,
0:21:37 > 0:21:43the sadhu family, the family of yogis, is a mirror image of that.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48And there are as intricate relationships within the sadhu
0:21:48 > 0:21:53family as there are within the Indian family.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Outside the big cities, in the more traditional small towns
0:21:56 > 0:22:02and villages of rural India, sadhus still have a unique spiritual role.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07Believers offer them food and money and ask for their blessings.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12If someone has the discipline to renounce householder life,
0:22:12 > 0:22:18they accrue a certain kind of power, that can convey that higher or
0:22:18 > 0:22:22cosmic or larger-than-life blessing that a householder might seek.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29This is the whole role of a sadhu, to sacrifice.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34This is the meaning of the sadhu life, it is one of sacrifice.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41One makes a sacrifice of one's self-interest in the world.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46To become a sadhu is not a consumer thing.
0:22:46 > 0:22:52There is no real promised pay-off, at the end of the day.
0:22:52 > 0:22:58Basically, you give up everything and practise austerities
0:22:58 > 0:23:02and there is no guarantee that there is going to be any result.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Maybe you die practising austerities!
0:23:08 > 0:23:13Some sadhus take the concept of renunciation to extreme lengths.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18These ascetics wear no clothes and cover their bodies with ash,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22symbolising the cycle of life, death and rebirth, which is
0:23:22 > 0:23:25one of the core beliefs of Hinduism.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Ash has got a very particular significance.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Wearing it and smearing it on yourself means
0:23:32 > 0:23:34that you have become born again.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37So, ash has got both death and life associated with it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41FLUTES PLAY, CYMBALS TINKLE
0:23:52 > 0:23:56The alleys and streets of Kumbh are lined by these Hindu holy men.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00There are nearly 30,000 of them here, from all over India.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27In some parts, he seemed very sincere, his eyes did,
0:24:27 > 0:24:33and he did sort of give a very peaceful persona.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35I felt at ease, sitting with him.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I could have sat with him all day and not said much, but enjoyed
0:24:39 > 0:24:42sitting with him, and that has a lot to do with his energy.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'We are here in these bodies this time around.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23'Our inner essence, soul, if you like, will come back around
0:25:23 > 0:25:25'again and again and again,'
0:25:25 > 0:25:27in another form and another form and another form.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30It's a cyclical view of time, if you will.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Someone who is born into a good circumstance
0:25:34 > 0:25:38will think, in their previous life, they have done good actions.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Hence, this is the result of these good actions.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Someone born into a difficult situation
0:25:42 > 0:25:45could transform by the right choices.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48So, we do have an influence on this circumstance.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53Our choice has influence on all our actions and our path.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04At the Kumbh, many rich Hindus provide free food for the pilgrims.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12People do good deeds, broadly for two reasons.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17They'd say, it's our duty to society, we have the resources,
0:26:17 > 0:26:22so they'd say, it's our dharma, it's our duty, it's our nature to do so.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24They might also say,
0:26:24 > 0:26:30we do it because we hope that we will accrue some benefits,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34we'll get good karma, good consequences of the actions we do.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Sadhus depend for their survival on this idea of doing good deeds.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46They live off donations from devout Hindus.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53It's traditional that people might donate cloth, the dhotis,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57what we wear as clothing, they might donate kamandals,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02the brass pots, blankets or almost anything else.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06But what is curious about a donation of goods is that
0:27:06 > 0:27:11a donation of goods is always accompanied by a cash donation
0:27:11 > 0:27:16that very often exceeds the value of the goods themselves.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26There are now just three days to go until one of the most important
0:27:26 > 0:27:32days of the Kumbh Mela, the day of the mass bathe in the River Ganges.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35One of the most important dates for bathing will be the new moon,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39which this time happened on the 10th of February.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42The new moon, of course, is associated with rebirth,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44with the coming back of light.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49And so, it is that sense of transformation of the self
0:27:49 > 0:27:54that is associated with that day, and therefore is auspicious.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56While certain days are considered more important than others,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00at the Kumbh Mela, pilgrims can come when they want
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and stay for however long suits them.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04There are no rules.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11Kanan Thakerar and her niece, Riya, can only stay for a short time.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Business and exam commitments mean they need to get back to London.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18For them, this is their big day.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21They head towards the holy Ganges for the ritual dip,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24the high point of their stay at the Kumbh Mela.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29Bathing itself is associated with the purification of the body
0:28:29 > 0:28:33and indirectly, the purification of the inner being.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38While bathing in general is a religious ritual for most Hindus,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41bathing in a river is particularly important,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45and bathing in the Ganges, the most important of all.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49Can you really imagine, Riya, we're going to actually do this!
0:28:49 > 0:28:56Dip in the water. It's incredible! Absolutely incredible.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59So, I'm guessing we're dipping down there.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01That's probably the best place, right?
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Shall we dip? Because everyone is saying, "Do it,"
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Some people are saying, "Don't do it."
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Everyone is saying it's very, very cold.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12The colour of the water makes it look dirty, so it's like,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15you know, are you really going to go through that process?
0:29:15 > 0:29:16- Are you going to put your whole body in?- Yeah.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18And I guess it's like,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20totally being submerged in the water and coming back,
0:29:20 > 0:29:24they say that seven generations will be cleansed within your family.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26So that's really something special.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28And I think we've come all the way here, we've made the effort,
0:29:28 > 0:29:30I think it would be a shame not to.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33If you're here, you've got to go with it.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43SHE SQUEALS
0:29:47 > 0:29:50'I am really worried about my upcoming exams,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53'but I am glad to be part of the Kumbh and to be here.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58'It's just given me the faith to face my exams and my future.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02'And it's an experience that I'm never going to get again.'
0:30:10 > 0:30:13It's very, very cold, but I am glad I did it, definitely.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19- Good.- Amazing. Really, it's just...
0:30:19 > 0:30:22You know, when you're standing there and you're ready to go in,
0:30:22 > 0:30:26and still that trepidation of, "Am I really going to do this?"
0:30:26 > 0:30:29And then it just takes you, there's no stopping it, really.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- Once you're in, you're in. - The next phase is, you're in.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36And to be a part of something... I mean, it's vast, this is vast,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38but it's all about everybody coming together.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40You can never, ever put this into words,
0:30:40 > 0:30:44never, in terms of this experience will always stay with us.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- No better place to pray than the Ganges.- Yeah.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50- Can't really get much more religious than that.- Yeah.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59After they have bathed, Hindus offer marigold flowers.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15They pray, lifting the water and letting it fall back,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17as a gift to the gods.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30MUSIC AND SINGING
0:31:34 > 0:31:36THEY SING, CYMBALS TINKLE
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Shivali is using her time at the Mela not just to pray
0:31:46 > 0:31:47and dip in the Ganges.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52She also hopes to get inspiration for her new
0:31:52 > 0:31:55career as a singer of Hindu pop songs.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58She has found a band of singers, performing devotional hymns.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05These hymns do have a very ancient background
0:32:05 > 0:32:08and the point of coming to the Kumbh is trying to discover
0:32:08 > 0:32:11who are the original singers of these hymns.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15I happened to find a group here who have been singing
0:32:15 > 0:32:19hymns about Lord Shiva.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Lord Shiva is the destroyer of the universe and of course,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25this means that once it is destroyed, it can be recreated.
0:32:25 > 0:32:26So this is a great thing.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Lord Shiva has many devotees, such as this group,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33they play a very important part in preserving Hindu tradition
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and passing it on through their singing.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17THEY START SINGING AGAIN
0:33:30 > 0:33:34They sing from their heart and they are telling a story and they believe
0:33:34 > 0:33:37in what they are saying and they want you to share that experience.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42They actually romanticise spirituality and devotion.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45They make it something that you feel like falling in love with.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48THEY SING JOYFULLY
0:33:55 > 0:33:57That feeling of falling in love with the Lord is what
0:33:57 > 0:34:00they are trying to convey.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03THEY CHEER
0:34:05 > 0:34:06That is called religion
0:34:06 > 0:34:09and that is the best part of the Kumbh Mela I've found so far.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25Hindus can take a ritual dip in the Ganges at any time,
0:34:25 > 0:34:26but traditionally,
0:34:26 > 0:34:31and at the Kumbh, the most auspicious time to bathe is at dawn.
0:34:31 > 0:34:36Dawn has the capacity for transformation, because it is
0:34:36 > 0:34:39a moment of change and therefore,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43if you want to talk about the energy or the potential
0:34:43 > 0:34:48inherent in different times of the day, that would be a heightened one.
0:34:50 > 0:34:56Among the thousands gathering on the river bank is Roshan from London.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Nothing can prepare you for this.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11I mean, I look out and I've never seen so many people in all my life.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14The mind cannot function when you see something like this,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16it's on a scale I've never experienced before.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Hindus bathe here wearing whatever they have come in,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24or change into more traditional clothes.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27There is no dress code for this ritual.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34I have the belief, the faith, that coming here at this auspicious time
0:35:34 > 0:35:39does cleanse me, it does clear sins, karma, whatever you want to call it.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54More important for me
0:35:54 > 0:35:57is that whatever transformation has happened, it continues.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04HE CHANTS
0:36:04 > 0:36:06So, it's not so much about just what happens
0:36:06 > 0:36:09when you enter those holy waters, it is
0:36:09 > 0:36:13what has changed in you on a more permanent basis that will continue.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16And that is what I'm really looking for.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24Roshan is here with his guru, or spiritual guide.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Swami Vishwananda was born in Mauritius, but now lives in Germany,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30where he runs a temple.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34He has a large following of mainly European Hindus.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39To become a guru, there is many ways.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Firstly, I would say you need the permission,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45the divine permission, firstly.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48You can't just become a guru just by saying, one day after the other,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50"I am a guru."
0:36:50 > 0:36:52'I am born like this.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55'So, there is a certain guru which is born a guru,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58'but still, you have always to get initiated.'
0:37:00 > 0:37:05Originally, the guru was a highly qualified spiritual teacher
0:37:05 > 0:37:07and instructor.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10They are seen to have attained some kind of insight
0:37:10 > 0:37:14and society accepts them as being qualified to teach.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16I think over a period of time,
0:37:16 > 0:37:22becoming a guru has become more a question of charisma,
0:37:22 > 0:37:27of appeal, of being able to speak to people about their concerns.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32'I think my guru is an embodiment of the divine.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37'He is there to help seekers attain the same realisation that he has.'
0:37:37 > 0:37:41And he understands our purpose in life,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44he understands why we are here and his role is to get us
0:37:44 > 0:37:47to that end point in the quickest way possible.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49But within the constraints
0:37:49 > 0:37:51and limitations we have as worldly people.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57The teacher is there to show you the way, to help you on your way,
0:37:57 > 0:38:01but you have to walk the way. And he will be there to support you.
0:38:02 > 0:38:08So this is how the guru help in one life.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16Like Roshan, Helen O'Hagan also has her very own guru.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Since meeting him, he has become a major influence on her life.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26When I came across Sadhguru, it was like, it was like lightning.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31It was... I knew that that was what I had been looking for.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35'Sadhguru says that having a guru is like having a road map in life.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36'He is just guiding me.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39'He says all the time, the answers are within.'
0:38:39 > 0:38:43But by doing things like closing your eyes from the circus
0:38:43 > 0:38:47sometimes around you, to actually search and find what is within.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53If you really want to experience life,
0:38:53 > 0:38:58the only way you can experience life is by enhancing your perception.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01If you read a book, you listen to somebody's teaching,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05or you believe something, it is only a psychological process, it is
0:39:05 > 0:39:06not an experiential process.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11If you have to experience something, the only way is you have to
0:39:11 > 0:39:15be able to expand the horizons of your perception.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18That I can do to her, if she is willing.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Sadhguru has prescribed a rigorous set of yogic practices
0:39:21 > 0:39:26for Helen, to help her focus on her spiritual development.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29I've been in silence for two months
0:39:29 > 0:39:32and it's been a period of no eye contact,
0:39:32 > 0:39:37no communication with anyone, apart from my guru. Why?
0:39:39 > 0:39:44When you are in silence, things that are deep within you,
0:39:44 > 0:39:48they become louder. It's very hard to put it into words.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51In fact, it's quite strange, being out of silence now.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55I've had some really profound experiences through
0:39:55 > 0:39:58the time that I've been in silence. There have been moments
0:39:58 > 0:40:00when I have experienced...
0:40:02 > 0:40:05You experience other people as part of yourself.
0:40:23 > 0:40:29As a spectacle, it's beautiful. Culturally... Wow.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33To see all these things that are just so different from city life.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38But that's not why I'm here.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43I'm here to experience the energy of Kumbh.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11It wasn't as cold as I expected! There is something...
0:41:11 > 0:41:18There is something very powerful about this place. There is a...
0:41:18 > 0:41:23- an energy, definitely. - Do you feel it?- Yes, yes.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Definitely.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33At her yoga centre,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36Helen is being taught meditation and yoga by her guru.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44The yoga that I practise, it doesn't belong to any religion.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47You will see in the ashram, there are all sorts there,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50from many countries, many religions, many cultures.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Today in the West, yoga is a common
0:41:53 > 0:41:56and widespread form of physical exercise.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00But for Hindus, it is much more than that.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Centuries ago, Hindu priests developed a philosophy
0:42:03 > 0:42:06that tried to unite the body and mind.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11Yoga originally means conjunction, a joining together.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17A yoking, which is the same word. Yoking of what?
0:42:17 > 0:42:22It's a yoking of the mind to discipline,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25so that thoughts are controlled and purified.
0:42:29 > 0:42:35Some Hindu holy men practise extreme forms of yogic postures.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40For them, this is the way to use their minds to control their bodies.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47Once we start acknowledging that physical discipline is
0:42:47 > 0:42:50intrinsic to spiritual discipline, what happens
0:42:50 > 0:42:54if we push the body to its very extremes?
0:42:54 > 0:43:00In concentrating on that, maybe our spiritual focus will also increase.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04So, long-time practitioners, especially among these renouncing
0:43:04 > 0:43:10sadhus, tend to put more effort into what might seem contortions.
0:43:10 > 0:43:15Because by putting more effort in pushing the body to its limits,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17we push the mind to its limits.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25Other sadhus go a step further.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28For centuries, they have practised extreme forms of asceticism,
0:43:28 > 0:43:32putting their bodies through great pain in an attempt
0:43:32 > 0:43:36to control their physical desires and free their minds.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56After two days at the Kumbh, Shivali is about to take her dip.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03In India, men and women are often segregated.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06But here at the Kumbh, there is a very easy
0:45:06 > 0:45:09and comfortable mingling of the sexes.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12HE SINGS, CYMBALS CLASH
0:45:18 > 0:45:22The vast majority of pilgrims bathe from the river bank.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Those who want more privacy and who can afford it
0:45:25 > 0:45:29take a boat out into the middle of the river and bathe from there.
0:45:32 > 0:45:38I think this is probably my favourite spot. This is the most peaceful spot.
0:45:38 > 0:45:44This spot is probably the least polluted so far that I have seen.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Now she is confronted with the reality,
0:45:47 > 0:45:52Shivali is having second thoughts about dipping in the Ganges.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Yeah, it always sounds good.
0:45:56 > 0:46:01And then, of course, you come and you realise, I realise that
0:46:01 > 0:46:05I just don't have the strength they have and I don't have the...
0:46:06 > 0:46:08I guess it takes a lot of,
0:46:08 > 0:46:13a lot of belief to step into these rivers, in the freezing cold
0:46:13 > 0:46:18and believe that you're going to be cleansed of your sins.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21I, I don't know if I feel that way any more, I don't know
0:46:21 > 0:46:26if I feel that you have to bathe in the river to cleanse yourself.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28I think it's more subtle than that.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32Of course, I will dip my hands in, because you don't want to take
0:46:32 > 0:46:36the risk, you want to just cleanse, just in case it works!
0:46:36 > 0:46:41But I think the rebirthing and the cleansing process, to me,
0:46:41 > 0:46:43is something I have to do every day.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50I actually apologised to the Lord and said,
0:46:50 > 0:46:55"I haven't done a dip, but forgive me for that, because I love you
0:46:55 > 0:47:02"as much as anyone else and my sincerity is in my devotion.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04"And so, cleanse me anyway."
0:47:07 > 0:47:11Many experts support Shivali's fear that the water is heavily polluted.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16But most pilgrims are not deterred.
0:47:18 > 0:47:19People continue to take a bath,
0:47:19 > 0:47:24because they still consider the Ganges to be pure in essence.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28So, even though its physical manifestation is contaminated,
0:47:28 > 0:47:31the essence of the Ganges is not contaminated.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33So they will still take their bath.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39An estimated 200 million litres of sewage
0:47:39 > 0:47:42is pumped into the Ganges every day.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47At the Kumbh, many religious groups have formed initiatives
0:47:47 > 0:47:49to try and clean up the river banks.
0:47:52 > 0:47:53What we are trying to do,
0:47:53 > 0:47:56wherever I see the toilet, we can take the dirt,
0:47:56 > 0:47:58heap on top of it,
0:47:58 > 0:48:01anybody's feet or shoes should not go on that.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06What we are trying here is a green Kumbh initiative.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09We cannot build toilets in the middle of the Ganga.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11But at least we can keep it clean.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15You try to keep your home so beautiful,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18it gives a great impression to your guests.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Looks like the whole Kumbh Mela is my home now, and millions
0:48:21 > 0:48:25and millions of people who are coming here are my guests now.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27My family members.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29If they are coming here, it is my prime duty now,
0:48:29 > 0:48:33keep the house clean - this is a huge house!
0:48:45 > 0:48:47One more day to go
0:48:47 > 0:48:51until the most important mass bathe at the Kumbh Mela.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53Millions of people are arriving,
0:48:53 > 0:48:57looking forward to the dramatic procession, led by the sadhus.
0:49:02 > 0:49:07The authorities are bracing themselves for an estimated
0:49:07 > 0:49:0830 million people.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15The local police must manage these vast numbers to avoid any
0:49:15 > 0:49:17incidents of panic or stampedes.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19They have their work cut out.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21SIRENS BLARE
0:49:21 > 0:49:25The man in charge, with a force of nearly 25,000 men,
0:49:25 > 0:49:29is Vijay Bhushan, Superintendent of Police.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49There have been a number of terrorist attacks in India.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53A huge gathering like this is a prime target.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28The police have set up barriers at the entry points to the Kumbh
0:50:28 > 0:50:34and plan to ban all motorised vehicles for the next 24 hours.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36The newspapers are predicting
0:50:36 > 0:50:39that there is 20, 25, maybe 30 million people
0:50:39 > 0:50:42that are going to bathe on the 10th of February.
0:50:44 > 0:50:51All the bathing begins with the processions of the sadhus.
0:50:54 > 0:51:01And this bathing takes place at a mythological moment,
0:51:01 > 0:51:07where a drop of the nectar of immortality fell from the heavens.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13The waters where the Ganga and the Yamuna are mixing,
0:51:13 > 0:51:18at that moment, become the nectar of immortality.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20And then, of course, the public wants to come
0:51:20 > 0:51:23and share the blessings,
0:51:23 > 0:51:28take those blessings as quickly as possible up to that moment.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38It has been 12 years in the making,
0:51:38 > 0:51:42but one of Hinduism's most sacred rites has finally begun.
0:51:47 > 0:51:53About 30,000 naked, ash-covered sadhus lead the procession,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57with chants and incantations, leaping to the beat of drums.
0:52:00 > 0:52:01Drawn from every part of India,
0:52:01 > 0:52:05this is a massive demonstration of faith that connects this modern,
0:52:05 > 0:52:09developing nation with its magnificent and ancient heritage.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13At the point of the confluence of the rivers,
0:52:13 > 0:52:17a space opens up between this world and the celestial.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19This world and the spiritual.
0:52:19 > 0:52:25And that draw, I think, is what is at the heart of the Kumbh Mela.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32This is the moment Roshan has been waiting for.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35In an unprecedented move,
0:52:35 > 0:52:39the Kumbh authorities have given his group of mainly European Hindus,
0:52:39 > 0:52:43led by his guru, permission to take part in the procession.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50Until now, only groups based in India were accorded this privilege.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Behind a fragile barrier,
0:52:54 > 0:52:58an ocean of pilgrims watch and wait impatiently.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Each one is fired with the same desire, to plunge into the holy
0:53:03 > 0:53:07waters, now made even holier by the presence of the sadhus.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12As dawn breaks over the river,
0:53:12 > 0:53:17the last of the sadhu groups emerge from the water.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26Millions of pilgrims now push forward towards the river.
0:53:26 > 0:53:31WHISTLES BLOWING JUBILANTLY
0:53:39 > 0:53:42Among them are Roshan and his group, with their guru.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Finally, they rush towards the river, to bathe together,
0:53:59 > 0:54:03to cleanse and purify themselves.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09For them, this is the most glorious moment,
0:54:09 > 0:54:13the culmination of their journey.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16We took a dip with the sadhus, the holy men,
0:54:16 > 0:54:21this is unprecedented - their acceptance of us as foreigners,
0:54:21 > 0:54:23there are white people in our group,
0:54:23 > 0:54:27the fact that we are not naked like the holy men, we are
0:54:27 > 0:54:32fully clothed, this is not something that has been witnessed here before.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36And again, it is testimony to the fact that these groups are
0:54:36 > 0:54:38opening up and becoming more tolerant
0:54:38 > 0:54:41of the wider Hindu community.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45CHEERING
0:54:49 > 0:54:53The very curious thing about what is happening today here is
0:54:53 > 0:54:58that it has been happening like this for thousands and thousands of years.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02We think about fashion in the West that lasts a year or two,
0:55:02 > 0:55:06an idea, maybe 25, 30 years, a style, God knows how long.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11But here, we have to pass something down, not 500 years or
0:55:11 > 0:55:15even 1,000 years, we are talking about passing things down
0:55:15 > 0:55:18thousands and thousands of years.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20And we have been able to do this successfully.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29For these pilgrims, it is the end of an extraordinary journey.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Helen is staying on in India, moving back to her ashram
0:55:33 > 0:55:36to continue her search for enlightenment.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43I'm going away with a feeling of how fortunate I am,
0:55:43 > 0:55:48because there are so many people that would...
0:55:48 > 0:55:50love to have been in this situation,
0:55:50 > 0:55:55to have experienced Kumbh with Sadhguru, something very special.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57I'm fortunate.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58So, I'm going away with
0:55:58 > 0:56:02a much better understanding of what Kumbh is,
0:56:02 > 0:56:03having taken a dip...
0:56:06 > 0:56:14..and having experienced all of this culture and passion and colour.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20It's just beautiful. Those that have been here, we just feel so lucky.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26Having taken that dip, I think it's really reaffirmed for me
0:56:26 > 0:56:30what Hinduism is, what my faith is, and it's kind of just given me
0:56:30 > 0:56:34a real sense of peace, and that's what I'm going to take with me.
0:56:34 > 0:56:35It's made me realise just how much
0:56:35 > 0:56:37I take for granted, even just little things.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41We read about poverty, but I think until you've seen it in large
0:56:41 > 0:56:45numbers like the Kumbh, you don't really realise just how bad it is.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52The most important memory I'll have is the joy I had
0:56:52 > 0:56:55that I was able to walk in that procession with my guru.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57And that I took that dip with him.
0:56:57 > 0:57:02CHEERING AND WHISTLING
0:57:06 > 0:57:09When I was just in the middle of what is
0:57:09 > 0:57:12known as the holiest of rivers,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16then, for a minute, you feel peaceful.
0:57:17 > 0:57:22For a minute, you feel that this is what life is all about.
0:57:22 > 0:57:26And I felt, this is the moment that I should remember.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29This is what I should become and this is how I should live.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39BELLS CHIMING
0:57:39 > 0:57:43Like the souls of the 100 million pilgrims who have attended
0:57:43 > 0:57:47the Kumbh Mela, Hinduism will continue to be reborn,
0:57:47 > 0:57:50to evolve and absorb new ways and ideas.
0:57:50 > 0:57:54But at its heart are its values and traditions,
0:57:54 > 0:57:58passed down and refined over thousands of years.
0:57:59 > 0:58:03It is a faith of nearly a billion followers, and a tenth of them
0:58:03 > 0:58:08came to one place for one purpose, to celebrate the Kumbh Mela.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12For most of them,
0:58:12 > 0:58:17it was a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the heart of their faith.
0:58:17 > 0:58:22For them and for millions more, the next 12 years can't pass
0:58:22 > 0:58:26soon enough, until the time when this sacred part of India will
0:58:26 > 0:58:30once again host the greatest show on Earth.
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd