From February 8th till February 12th, Srila Narasingha Maharaja attended the Maha Kumbha-Mela at Allahabad in North India accompanied by Sripada Visnu Maharaja, Sripada Giri Maharaja, Kunja-vihari Dasa, Rupanuga Dasa and Gaura-Gopala Dasa.
Srila Guru Maharaja, Visnu Maharaja and Kunja-vihari arrived in Varanasi on the 7th evening while an advance party of devotees (consisting of Giri Maharaja, Rupanuga and Gaura-Gopala) arrived by train early at Allahabad on the 8th.
Guru Maharaja was enthusiastic to be at the Mela and spoke of his experiences of the 1977 Kumbha-Mela with Srila Prabhupada and the 1989 Kumbha-Mela.
While at the Mela, Guru Maharaja took the opportunity to preach to many of the foreign guests at the camp as well as some of the local Hindu pilgrims. Quite a few Bhagavad-gitas were distributed as well as Devavision Kumbha-Mela DVDs.
The 10th of February was one of the main bathing days known as Mauni Amavasya, when about 40 million people took a holy bath in the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati. Srila Guru Maharaja took a party of devotees and friends to the sangam (confluence) where he took bath and explained to them the significance and origins of the Kumbha-Mela.
On 12th February, Srila Narasingha Maharaja left the Kumbha-Mela to Varanasi and then returned to Govindaji Gardens.
The following is a selection of photos from the Mela taken by Visnu Maharaja, Giri Maharaja, Rupanuga, Gaura-Gopala and Kunja-vihari More photos can be viewed at the following URLs –
http://nilanewsom.com/kumbha-mela/
http://rammohanphotography.com/maha-kumbha-mela-biggest-spiritual-spectacle-earth
