Every 12 years millions of Hindu followers gather at Allahabad for the Kumbh Mela in a mass pilgrimage to the place where the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Sarasvati rivers meet . The confluence of the 3 rivers is also known as Triveni Sangam . This place is believed to be the same place where drops of Amrita, the nectar of immortality, fell from the hands of God. The Hindu followers believe that bathing at Triveni Sangam will wash away the sins and clear the path to heaven.
I traveled to the Mela inspired by the magic pictures that Steve Mccurry took during his travel. Like many other photographers I was intrigued by the immensity of the event and the force of the faith that could gather that huge amount of people. So for about 40 days I tried not only to take pictures but also to try to understand . After spending all this time one could say that it's hard not to come out with some good images and this is quite true . The Mela might be described as a theme park for photographers but taking pictures of the tipical old sadhus standing on the side of the road asking for money becomes repetitive just after a few days. So only after two weeks of meeting and spending time with pilgrims, I can say I begun to understand and see the pictures I had to take. Also I started to meet the true believers, the real people that make the Kumbh Mela the magic event that it is . So after 40 days I could only scratch the surface of a project that I started to imagine more and more complex involving normal day to day life in the mela camps, processions, akhara rituals, bathing rituals and initiation rituals.I have now decided to follow this project during a full 12 year cycle of Melas in Hardwar, Ujjain, Nasik and come back to Allahabad .
