Diary of
my visit and experiences
at the
Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 Allahabad
20th(Sunday)
January 2013:
Day One I woke up in the suite 1Minto Park Allahabad
21st (Monday) January 2013:
Day two I was put-up in the Base-Camp Tent in
Lakshmi kutir, in Samadrakoop, in Jhunsi, on an ancient site (mound)
over-looking the vast sea of tents of the Maha Kumbh Mela on the dry sand-bank
of the mighty Ganga river spreading in an area of over 2.5 Kms between the
either banks connected by over 15 pontoons bridges. The shock of my life came
at the tail-end of day in the night when Abhra introduced me to Lakshmi aunty
brother of Reggie Tikari and Robby Tikari of Bhalwa (Gaya) and wife of Tobby
Sinclair. A family to which my younger sister Jacinta (Cherry) has got married
into. It was like coming home and best part was to discover my long lost
brother Oliver Saurav Sinclair, (Lakshmi aunty’s younger son), who has done
Time-lapse photography of the previous Kumbh melas. The day if I may remember
was entirely spent in setting tables, chair, wire plug points for the six
systems for the Edit to be set-up, with six UPSs two for Mike, two for Peter
and two for Douglas and Ingrid. So the day was spent with electricians Rajendra
and Ratan to re-wire alternate plug points and the double bed was turned into a
storage space for the various cartoon boxes. The Manager of Triveni darshan Mr.
Upadhya was most helpful, along with Vikas in the front-office desk (Reception)
and our tea and meals organized by Deepak.In all the running about for
logistics was done in a Maruti wagon car by our dear host (sos) Amit Srivastav
from Allahabad
22nd (Tuesday) January 2013:
Day three I went exploring about where I was
staying at Samadrakoop in Jhunsi to discover for myself that the Samadrakoop
(Well) was an ancient site consolidated by Samudragupta on an earlier
settlement which has its mention in the Puranas of the Vedic age (1500 B.C).
Having found this out,the stay here at Lakshmi kutir was further embellished
with good company of friends from all over and enriched with the experiences at
the lavish Tented accommodation (running hot & cold shower) and dinning
tent (Indian & western cuisine) at
Lakshmi kutir in Samadrakoop. Today was a day for final installation of the
Evict (routing Peter’s Edit mac computer and Dough’s sound-audio mac
computers). In the morning we left for Dr. Rajendra Prasad airport at Varanasi
to receive the Camera crew (Keo films) which included – Sasha (Editor), Peter
Drinkwater (Asst. Editor), Douglas (Sound track editor), Ingrid (Researcher),
Johanne (Camera man), Andy (Sound recorder) and Diego Brunel (Anchor /
Presenter). By now Calmn (Field explorer) had already been to the Kumbh mela
since the 15th of January updating them all about the events and
selection of characters (Naga sadhu babas of the Pach Dasnama Junna Akhara) in
the Kumbh Mela ground in Jhunsi.
23rd (Wednesday) January 2013:
Day four, this is my first real working day at the
Edit studio, (Room 1, at Triveni darshan on banks of Yammuna river) translating
for National Geographic film MAHA KUMBH MELA 2013: The Greatest festival on
Earth. Ingrid gave me a list of eight queries (number of people lost in kumbh
mela, number of elephants, people cremated on banks of Ganga river, types of
sadhus). Peter gave me translation needed for Sadhu baba Ramaswaram with the
floating stone. Mike was of much assistance transferring the rushes from Day 1
for Diego (Visit to sadhus in Tent welcomed by a Cow).
24th (Thursday) January 2013:
Day five, Today was getting to know the nature of
work and the requirement from being a translator, narrator, into a mock Voice
Over (VO) for the final clips selected by Peter. The homework being the counter
to counter input of the translation, which was great to do with the movie
player which gave me a first-hand glimpse into the film material, which at the
Edit was a luxury to clip at leisure between lunches on the terrace of the
Triveni darshan U.P. Tourism guest house. The view of the sail-boat and the
row-boats on the Yamunna flowing south to meet the Ganga was a delightful sight
in passing time.
25th (Friday) January 2013:
Day six, today we had a of bit of trouble with the
electric trip MCB (Circuit breakers – B-16) for Edit room to Trip was connected
to a Generator (kerosene oil operated) Change-over switchused to trip and
provide uninterrupted power supply on the extra load put on the six plus
sockets onto which we were adding our various multi-plug sockets and adapters,
chargers, etc. However, work wise, Peter
made me do some VOs for Baba Ramaswaram (floating stone sadhu), counter reading
for rushes(footage) given by Mike see translation file nr. 13KMXD001 Seq23012013,
counter 01:01:35:19 to 01:08:28:07.Then Peter got me to a bit of translation
for reasons why people come to the Kumbh mela and the blessings ways and
responsibility of a sadhu. The best VO I like was “Hail the Chillum!” “Its
(chillum puff) like you feel as powerful and strong as a 1000 Elephants”.
This was also a day out for me with Dough on a
pony drawn tonga
26th (Saturday) January 2013:
Day seven, Today I got to get introduced to Mr.
Upadhya (9415368233), the manager of Triveni darshan a U.P. Tourism Guest
bunglow. Others included friends in Vikas at the Front-office (Reception) and
Deepak (House-keeping & Dinning) along with Ashok (butler), Vijay
(room-service), and humble Sonalal (Sweeper) who were quite helpful in setting
logistics and meals. It was a day settling down for the Edit team so Mike (room
3), Ingrid (room 4), Douglas (room 5) and Peter (room 6) had to do a fair bit
of learning local “yes” or “no” for that had to be done.The day was also spent
getting 20 litters of kerosene oil in two jerry-cans for the generator brought
by Vishnu.Back in the base camp Callum along with Sasha (Editor), Andy (Sound
recordist), Johanne (Camera man), and Diego (Anchor / Presenter) were happily
settled in the lavish tents at Lakshmi kutir in Samadrakoop, in Jhunsi. The
view from the terrace at Lakshmi kutir overlooked Akbar’s fort on the banks of
the Ganga in the distance with the sea of thousands of tents in the foreground
on the sands of passing time…
27th (Sunday) January 2013:
Day eight, the morning got me doing my laundry and
a hot bucket bath at Lakshmi kutir. Today I had quite a bit of queries for
Ingrid on the pollution of Ganga river, Impressive facts and figures on the Ganga and the TRIVENI –
mythological river. Peter got me to do a VO on a sadhu - “It’s a penance which
we do for 12 years for Lord Shiva..” The day was spent getting 21 litters of
kerosene oil in two jerry-cans for the generator from Raj (Rattan’s cousin).
28th (Monday) January 2013:
Day nine, the day at the Edit was exciting as ever
making google search for queries made by Ingrid. The day’s research was on –
the beginning and ending dates of the Maha Kumbh mela ; Purnimasi – significance. The day was also spent getting 45 litters of
kerosene oil in two jerry-cans for the generator brought by Vishnu. Today Pete
got me to do VO for the snake charmer - Shiva who flanked by a Cobra hood, with
its body coiled up around his neck. And to be blessed or touched by a Cobra on Purnamasi
(monthly full moon in Hindu calendar) is very auspicious. The other VO or the
snake charmer was the twig / herb used to get healed from snake-bite.
29th (Tuesday) January 2013:
Day ten, The day at the Edit was full of
translations and VOs with Peter for the Panda on the Boat with Diego. The Panda
on the boat VOs were –“Greetings… come…come… Give him some more..(coconut’s) as
an offering..”, “You fold your hands and make your prayers with the coconut, milk
and flowers at the Triveni Ganga and then you go to bathe in the river…”,“When
you do this. You attain wisdom, which gives you strength and knowledge and all
your wishes are fulfilled.. and your sins are cleansed.. and you say a prayer.”
, “ It is to make the Goddess Ganga happy and pleased..”; “Our people come to
us (Pandas) to be blessed and we make their wishes come true. We make the
Goddess happy, and in return we receive some money. This is our job!” ; “this
(wish-wand) is to give blessings from the Ganga … the Yammuna..and…this
from Saraswati... This is from your father… from your mother…. Your
brother…”.Ingrid got me to do some queries search on – official ban on chillum
smoking, various Gods & Goddess in Hindu religion and the Junna Akhara in
Kumbh mela.
30th (Wednesday) January 2013:
Day eleven, today I got to share my work, life and
photos of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand and tribal art with Ingrid and Douglas. We even
signed up on facebook with Peter, and Mike.
I swapped time to make facebook link-up with Abhra, Probir and Praveen,
and Amit Srivastav too and upload some photos of the Maha Kumbh Mela. It was a
day of sharing experiences and work came along..
31st (Thursday) January 2013:
Day
twelve, Ingrid got me to do queries on – number of people lost in Kumbh mela, number of people killed in the Kumbh
mela, the different types of hair-styles of sadhus, and the Narangi naga
warrior sadhus. Peter got me to do VOs for the Initiation of Young sadhus in
the Junna Akhara during the maha Kumbh Mela 2013 were – “When we leave home. We
have no tension since we give up our family lives.” “I am about 22 years old.”,
“Those who have a family life celebrate birthdays.. But when you are in a
penance as a sadhu… moving around… Yu give up on remembering your own special
dates and occasions.” ; “When a child is born of a mother.. a lease of life is
given to him. Similarly when an elder sadhu adopts us.. We are reincarnated.”;
“Its your own wish and will to have long, short or plaited hair.. before we
become a sadhu, Our head is shaved during the initiation ceremony. And since
then we don’t cut the hair of our body or beard.”
1st (Friday) February 2013:
Day thirteen, today I was to get the reading
glasses for Douglas and get lenses replaced for Abhra ( a tripod fell on his
reading glass!!), done at Vision 360 near Subhash chowk. Probir was sos asap
called to set-up the D-link Internet modem router connecting our Edit internet
work nonstop.
2nd (Saturday) February 2013:
Day fourteen, Sasha came across to the Edit to see
the IK RUSHES LOG DAY 5 (draft version). I could get a glimpse and an insight
into Editing by Peter and Commentary& sound compositions by Douglas.
Diego’s presentation of the “Maha Kumbh Mela : The Greatest Festival on Earth
2013” with Oliver Saurav Sinclair’s (photographer) guide was an embellishment
and enrichment of several days of filming by the camera crew who in sweat and
the labor love, brought before us this amazing archival footage. Peter got me
later to VO(Translation13KMDX011 SEQ01022013) the Sadhu during the Grave
penance.Shayamanand
Saraswati Sadhu – “If I am not allowed to do this penance, then I will give
away my life in sacrifice and meditation.”; Sadhu in white – “Our Baba was
doing this penance for the good of our country and to save Mother Earth from
impending Doom. The police and administration stopped him from doing so!” ;
“Baba has done this penance elsewhere twelve times... But now the Mela
administration is not allowing him to do this penance here.” Sadhu in the
saffron clothes - Counter reading (01:45:13:10) – “In the early days there was no
politics of religion and wealth. But today it is the politics of Goons and
Touts! That is why we are facing all these problems…” ; “If anybody tries to
stop us. Then I assure you 100% that they will be destroyed!”.
3rd(Sunday) February 2013:
Day fifteen, Today Ingrid got me to figure out why
this was the Maha Kumbh Mela at Allahabad in 2013, when the previous Maha Kumbh
was in 2001. Later for us to find out that a Maha Kumbh takes place after every
12 years multiplied by 12 such Maha Kumbh = 144 years so happening in 2013 in
Allahabad. For Peter I had to do VOs for Sadhu Rajarajeswari (Junna akhara)
with raised arm alongside California Beverly Hills baba. “It is the own choice
of the people to come to us for blessings and personal gains and not gain from
my wisdom.” “The creation of life has been made possible by penance and by the
will of the Mother Goddess, continuing due to the sacrifice of the Sadhus.”; “I
had raised my right arm as a mark of sacrifice and penance, which I had lifted
pointing upward in the air. But now my fingers have folded and mark the
accumulation of the Vedas and five elements in my fingers grasp.”
4th(Monday) February 2013:
Day sixteen, Today Ingrid got me to get some tea
bags, resins, and fruits which gave me an opportunity to get Saddam’s motorbike
keys done, since I was using it almost every day to come from Lakshmi kutir
(Samadrakoop, Jhunsi) to Triveni darshhan (the Edit in room 1) near Minto Park
in Kydgunj on yammuna Bank road a distance of 8 kms via the Kumbh mela grounds.
However I used to take the Shastri bridge (over-looking the mela grounds) and
turn left at the ancient Kali temple to drive to Triveni. Peter had much in
store for me and Dough was such a companion to have in the Edit.
5th(Tuesday) February 2013:
Day seventeen, Today I again got an opportunity to
visit Civil Lines to get the black ink cartridge for the HP1050 printer. The
day was busy as usual with Ingrid’s queries on the Kumbh Mela, translations and
Voice Over (VO) for Peter.
6th (Wednesday) February 2013:
Day eighteen, Today Wills Anderson arrives at the
Edit. Sasha, Diego, Callum, Johanne, Andy, Abhra, Probir, Praveen, and Amit
from Camera crew come over to the Edit since it is Dough’s Birthday. We have a viewing of the sequence film so far made and
chill out for the evening. Sasha and me return back to the Base camp at Lakshmi
kutir with Wills, while Dough took Callum, Abhra, Probir, Praveen to dinner in
the city. After Dinner I got back to our AP-office tents and barely 10 mins.
There was a sudden downpour of rain showers which completely drenched the tent.
Thank god there was Saddam and Sadique who helped me to put all cameras in the
center of the tent and the charging battery packs above water level since it
took us 2 hours to get rid of the 30 buckets of water that had accumulated in
the tent. Abhra today returns from Delhi via Varanasi and we send an Edit
courier packet to England via Ashish Singh (Delhi) a friend, who helped us
locate Johannes lost baggage which Peter claimed from British Airways with an
authorization letter.
7th (Thursday) February 2013:
Day nineteen, Today Ingrid got me to do some more
querries and Peter got me to do the Voice Overs (VOs).
8th (Friday) February 2013:
Day twenty, Today Ingrid got me to do some more
querries and Peter got me to do the Voice Overs (VOs).
9th (Saturday) February 2013:
Day twenty-one, Today Ingrid got me to re-charge
the Edit Inter-net Sims for Abhra and Keo4, which was SOS topped-up by Amit and
Probir. In the day time I had to take Rattan’s (Generator asst.) motorbike and
go mid-way into the Kumbh Administrative office to meet Abhra to collect the
rushes (SD cards) for the day to be transferred by Mike at the Edit. Later in
the evening, I fixed-up the boatman Shayam at Triveni for six persons to go to
the Sangam for Mauni amawasia the
following morning. I had to stay at the Edit for the night as it was too busy
out on the road to go back to the base camp. In the night I went to Viniyak City
10th (Sunday) February 2013:
Day twenty-two, Today at 6 am in the morning
Peter, Dough, Mike, William, Ingrid and myself gathered at the boat club
water-front on the banks of the Yammuna river to go on a boat ride to the
Sangam. After an hour of finding our boat we left at 7 to return by 9
am
in the morning, the two hour boat-ride was a memorable one with the early
morning sighting of the dawn sun rising above the Yammuna bridge. While on the
boat Peter got the sad news of his father’s passing away, which I got to know
later the next day. In the day time I had to take Rattan’s (Generator asst.)
motorbike and go mid-way into the Kumbh Administrative office to meet Tiwari
(driver) to collect the rushes (SD cards) for the day to be transferred by Mike
at the Edit.
11th (Monday) February 2013:
Day twenty-three, Today I took Sasha to the Edit
on Saddam’s motorbike from Lakshmi kutir to the Edit at Triveni darshan. Ingrid
got me to do some more queries and Peter got me to do the Voice Over (VOs). At
around 2 pm in the afternoon I got a call from Gustav (my brother) that my
younger brother Jason had passed away in hospital. He was sick with acute
jaundice and 30% liver surviving. May his Soul rest in peace. However work for
me continued and I went back with Sasha to the base camp in the late evening.
In the evening Anuj (driver) took me at 8 pm to the Allahabad railway station
to receive my wife Alka, her sister Sarika and two of our tribal women artists
Malo and Parwati Devi from Hazaribagh who were put-up in the ladies tent in
Lakshmi Kutir thanks to Shree (Dhruv’s wife).
12th (Tuesday) February 2013:
Day twenty-four, Ingrid got me to do some more
queries and Peter got me to do the Voice Overs (VOs)....
13th (Wednesday) February 2013:
Day twenty-five, Today was the last working day at
the Edit, so after a quick packing and formalities I went to Saurabh to see his
time lapse photos and share the presentation on Tribal, art, culture and
history of our region. Later, Ingrid got me to do some more queries and Peter
got me to do the Voice Overs (VOs).....
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