A Geordie Up The Ganges Archives

In 2013, I embarked on an adventure of a lifetime to India, and that journey would later become the wellspring of inspiration for my fiction novel, “A Geordie Up The Ganges.” Among the many highlights of my adventure, one experience stands out vividly—the awe-inspiring Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, now known as Prayagraj. The sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of that momentous occasion are etched forever in my memory.

As I wove the tapestry of my story, I was determined that my main character, Jen, would also experience this grand event. I wanted her to live to tell the readers the extraordinary tale of what unfolded there.

But what exactly is the Kumbh Mela?

Legend has it that it all began with an epic battle between gods and demons, fought over an urn, or “kumbh,” containing drops of the nectar of immortality. As they grappled, drops of this precious nectar fell upon four places along the sacred River Ganges: Haridwar (the location in my story), Allahabad, Nashik, and Ujjain. Each of these places hosts the Kumbh Mela once every twelve years on a rotational basis.

The Kumbh Mela stands as the grandest human gathering on Earth. In 2013, in Allahabad, a staggering 150 million visitors attended over 55 days of the festival, with an astonishing 15 million people taking part on the first bathing day alone.

So, who journeys to the Kumbh, and why?

For Hindus, bathing in the River Ganges during the Kumbh is a sacred act believed to cleanse them of their sins and pave the way toward Nirvana—the ultimate spiritual goal in Hinduism, signifying release from the cycle of death and rebirth.

Holy men descend from their Himalayan caves and traverse India to gather at the Kumbh. There, they bathe in the holy waters and impart their teachings to millions of devotees. Pilgrims travel hundreds of miles from every corner of India, and sightseers come from all over the world. Among the myriad types of sadhus found at the Kumbh are:

Nagas: Naked, ash-covered sadhus with long matted hair who believe that marijuana aids enlightenment.
Urdhwavahurs: Emaciated sadhus with disciplined spiritual practices.
Parivajakas: Vow of silence practitioners.
Kalpvasis: Those who bathe numerous times a day.
Aghoris: The most enigmatic and feared sect of holy men in India, renowned for their ancient, dark rituals, including cannibalism.

A visit to the Kumbh Mela is akin to peering into the soul of India. It’s a magnificent celebration of life’s joys, as mesmerizing as it is spiritual. It’s an experience unlike any other on Earth.

In “A Geordie Up The Ganges,” what happens to Jen at the Kumbh is a blend of fiction and a sprinkle of truth. As I tapped away at my keyboard, the memories surged back to life. As I wrote, I laughed, I cried, and my skin tingled, just as it had on that unforgettable day in 2013.

Such is the magic of the Kumbh Mela!