India Byd Pws

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-Good grief!

-I've been to

-Marrakech and Katmandu.

-But I've never visited

-a place like this.

-By comparison,

-Katmandu is a Sunday School trip.

-Where am I?

-Delhi, India.

-This is where our journey begins.

-No, thanks!

-We're starting out from Delhi.

-Oh! Fun and games!

-I love this travelling.

-We've missed three aeroplanes

-in three days.

-We finally decided to catch a train.

-Here we are, in Delhi station.

-I think it's this one.

-We're on the way to...

-Where are we going?

-Varanasi is the first step

-of our journey to the Kumbh Mela.

-Off we go.

-Twelve hours later.

-We, the sardines,

-are starting to wake up.

-Time for some breakfast.

-But I don't fancy

-their chicken madras.

-What do you want, egg omelette?

-Yes, please.

-Omelette and bread?

-Omelette and bread?

-

-Yes.

-Kumbh Mela means 'The Pitcher Fair'.

-According to mythology, Gods

-fought devils for the Amrit Kumbh.

-Its divine nectar could bestow

-spiritual and material strength.

-The god Vishnu succeeded.

-As he escaped to Swarga, heaven...

-..four drops of nectar

-fell to earth.

-The most sacred place was Allahabad,

-on the banks of the Ganges...

-..where the most important

-Kumbh Mela occurs.

-The exact date depends on

-the configuration of the planets.

-But first, Varanasi.

-India is an assault on the senses.

-Colours, street smells, noise,

-smoke, hustle and bustle.

-People, people and more people.

-India is fantastic,

-in the true meaning of the word.

-This is where they devised algebra,

-trigonometry, calculus, chess...

-..and more importantly, curry!

-There is poverty here, it's true.

-But everyone manages to earn a

-a living. From being a messenger...

-..to selling fruit.

-We all need a lunch hour.

-And there's showbiz in India,

-like everywhere else.

-Which reminds me, I used to go out

-with a girl called Janet Davies.

-Sorry, Janet. That was very cruel.

-It's 4.30am.

-I've been told

-we have to see this gate.

-A gate.

-At 4.30am? We have gates at home.

-Come on.

-These ghats are stairs

-which lead down to the river.

-In the cold early morning,

-devotees come in their thousands...

-..to bathe and cleanse their bodies.

-The Ganges flows

-from the Himalayas to Bengal Bay.

-The Hindu Gods are incarnated

-as rivers, trees and mountains.

-This is why the Ganges

-is so important.

-Ganga is a goddess who's worshipped

-and loved the most by them.

-According to ancient scriptures,

-Ganga came from heaven to earth...

-..to save seven generations

-of the Bhagirath ancestry.

-She cleansed the population

-of the whole world.

-The people's excitement and pleasure

-from being on the river is obvious.

-Indians, as we all know,

-are crazy about cricket.

-Young lads play anywhere, any time.

-Oh, good shot!

-England, 100 all out.

-India, 436 for 0.

-Allahabad finally draws closer.

-The hustle and bustle increases.

-The arrival of 100 million people

-is expected.

-30 million on Mauni Amavasya.

-The most important bathing day.

-Kumbh Mela is a combination

-of mythology and astrology.

-Every 12 years, it's believed

-the river's water turns to nectar.

-This happens on Amavasya -

-the day of a new moon.

-The location of this place

-is called the Sangam.

-2001 falls on

-12 multiplied by 12 years.

-This only happens

-once in a lifetime.

-As they bathe in the river,

-Hindus reach Mocsha...

-..a release from

-the cycle of birth and death.

-It's the foundation stone

-of Hinduism.

-The whole point of the Kumbh Mela.

-Did you count

-how many crossed the river?

-It's incredible. I can't believe it.

-I was just saying to Al, to get

-all these people in one place...

-..you'd need an Eisteddfod every

-day, every week, for seven years.

-We're eventually

-going to cross over there.

-There's a pontoon

-after pontoon after pontoon.

-I can't describe it. It's amazing.

-Just look how many people are here.

-We're finally on a pontoon.

-It isn't as bad as I expected.

-All sorts of people are here.

-Those who've travelled for months

-from the south of India.

-I came on an aeroplane.

-I'm not half the man these folk are.

-But the feeling is incredible.

-It's only their faith

-that brings these people here.

-Where are we going?

-Sector 6.

-Excuse the hat, but I forgot mine.

-I thought it would be foggy today,

-of all days.

-We're going to Sector 6

-to wait in a tent.

-Better go for a look.

-Oh! This stuff's heavy.

-We've spent 3 hours

-looking for an 'ashram' - a tent.

-We can't find the ashram

-we've been promised for the night.

-It's like looking for...

-an ashram in the Kumbh Mela.

-If you know what I mean. Anyhow.

-We've decided to put down

-our stuff here. I said to Hughes...

-.."You're staying here,

-next to the WI tent. OK?"

-I'll look for the ashram.

-Stay.

-Here are facts which illustrate

-the enormity of Kumbh Mela.

-15,500 water taps.

-17,000 street lights.

-11,000 policemen.

-13,000 tonnes of wheat,

-500 tonnes or rice.

-750,000 toilets.

-90 kilometres of road.

-15 temporary pontoons,

-and one Welshman from Treboeth.

-Tomorrow, more than four times

-the London population...

-..descend on a city

-where everyone's equal.

-From the affluent businessman,

-to the poorest beggar.

-Their faith makes them equal.

-Many stars have been

-refused permission to come here.

-Richard Gere, Madonna,

-and possibly Paul McCartney.

-But the Dalai Lama

-received an invitation.

-And me.

-SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE

-My name is Dewi.

-The Dalai Lama's presence inspires

-excitement and much activity.

-Everyone wants to see him,

-and maybe receive a blessing.

-Good to see Hindus and Buddhists

-united on such a historic occasion.

-The Dalai Lama's laughter

-was as mischievous as ever.

-His sparkling eyes makes

-people smile, wherever he goes.

-I can't believe it.

-He was 20 ft away from me.

-I'm sure he winked at me.

-I'd like to meet him.

-Think there's a chance, Al?

-Maybe.

-You never know.

-He might pop into The King's Head

-in Treboeth one day.

-Calm returns as he walks away.

-In the stillness,

-after everyone has left...

-..guess what I found

-floating down the river.

-A Tibetan flag.

-Want to know where it's going?

-My bedroom.

-'Blessed is the jewel in the lotus.'

-Great.

-Come on, Hughes.

-SPEAKS NATIVE LANGUAGE

-He says the white marks on the side

-of his face represent God's feet.

-The red in the centre

-symbolises God Himself.

-These defend him from bad luck.

-This is Swami

-Kaushalendra Prapannacharya.

-Many important religious communities

-take part in the Kumbh.

-Each has its own Swami - or leader.

-Pupils live by the ashram.

-The Swami is their leader.

-Swami means, 'Saviour From Darkness'

-or 'The One Who's Full Of Wisdom'.

-In other words, a living saint.

-Our Swami

-has 200 faithful followers...

-..and many more on the fringe.

-It's an honour for close followers

-to drink water that washed his feet.

-The community feeds everyone.

-No-one, including us, is refused.

-The ashram depends entirely

-on voluntary donations.

-Today, I hope to meet the sadhus.

-They're people who walk around

-naked and live in caves.

-They only eat nuts.

-They do the strangest things.

-They're a very mystic people.

-No-one seems to understand them.

-Something like the 'Gorsedd'.

-Come on, Hughes.

-Sadhus roam the country

-with no more than a pot of water.

-It's thought they have

-supernatural powers.

-The ability to rise from the earth,

-or disappear and reappear on demand.

-Sadhus graduate in Kumbh Mela...

-..symbolised by cutting their hair -

-for the last time in their lives.

-The senior Sadhu

-officiates the Pinda ceremony.

-Meeting him was an honour, and

-confirmed the ceremony's importance.

-They charge more

-than the Arts Council!

-We're here to bathe in the Ganga.

-The festival only happens

-once every 144 years.

-This is a once-in-a-lifetime

-opportunity.

-How does it feel to be in the water?

-It's a fantastic feeling.

-The sand and water

-are very important.

-We'll stay a month,

-and carry the sacred water home.

-I'm here because Mam's here.

-I met a gang from London

-in the midst of all the millions.

-Have you travelled all the way

-for the Kumbh Mela?

-Yes!

-No? All this way?

-No? All this way?

-

-Yes!

-Are you taking water home with you?

-Are you taking water home with you?

-

-Yes.

-And sand. Good.

-Thank you very much.

-Very kind of you.

-The Kumbh Mela

-is the world's biggest fair.

-I'd thought of having a good

-night's sleep before the big event.

-But it's 3.00am and the local Terry

-Wogan wants to say a few words.

-He's already been talking

-half an hour.

-Sulwyn, come back! All is forgiven.

-The noise continued throughout

-the night. I didn't get any sleep.

-They were announcing the names

-of people who were lost.

-On average, that's 10,000 a day.

-Tension filled the air

-as we awaited dawn.

-It's 4.30am.

-It's estimated 25 million people are

-here - and they're still arriving.

-Whole villages are coming,

-holding hands.

-Individuals, pilgrims -

-they all come here.

-As you can see from my clothes,

-it's freezing.

-People of all ages

-are emerging out of the water.

-The fact they're not frozen solid

-underlines their unwavering faith.

-At last, dawn breaks.

-Sadhus get the privilege

-of leading 30 million devotees...

-..to cleanse their sins

-in the sacred nectar.

-Without a doubt,

-this is the highlight of Kumbh Mela.

-It's 6.30 on the last morning

-of the Kumbh Mela.

-It's incredibly cold.

-And it's been

-an incredible experience.

-I'll tell you this much,

-if I'm still alive in 12 years...

-..I'll be back.

-S4C Subtitles by

-GWEAD