I have written half a dozen first sentences and each one seems to go nowhere. I'm trying to describe my thoughts about my imminent attendance of the kumbh mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, but each thought I have erodes into half a thought and then a whisper, balled over by another stronger thought that is equally as fragile.
What do I expect? What am I hoping to see? What am I afraid of? These are a few of a hundred questions running through my mind. The last of these though is the easiest to answer, indeed it is the one that I have spent the most of my time deliberating over: I am afraid of falling ill from the poor hygeine conditions. I am afraid of losing all my valuables (or them getting stolen). I am afraid of dying in a stampede of pilgrims - one person gave some kind advice about this last point and said that there is only one way to go if a stampede starts, that is up and jokingly pointed upwards towards heaven. Funny!
But I am also hoping to see and experience so much more than what my fears can drown. I am hoping to see godly devotion so strong that pilgrims, in their tens of millions, travels thousands of miles to attend. I am hoping to see the extraordinary colours and patterns adopted by both pilgrims and saddhus alike: a massive canvas of human art unlike anything seen before. Finally I am hoping to meet some incredible people and fall into some deep discussions that I will struggle to get out of.
All in all, I'm hoping for a lot, afraid of a few things but expecting nothing. Bring on the kumbh mela!
What do I expect? What am I hoping to see? What am I afraid of? These are a few of a hundred questions running through my mind. The last of these though is the easiest to answer, indeed it is the one that I have spent the most of my time deliberating over: I am afraid of falling ill from the poor hygeine conditions. I am afraid of losing all my valuables (or them getting stolen). I am afraid of dying in a stampede of pilgrims - one person gave some kind advice about this last point and said that there is only one way to go if a stampede starts, that is up and jokingly pointed upwards towards heaven. Funny!
But I am also hoping to see and experience so much more than what my fears can drown. I am hoping to see godly devotion so strong that pilgrims, in their tens of millions, travels thousands of miles to attend. I am hoping to see the extraordinary colours and patterns adopted by both pilgrims and saddhus alike: a massive canvas of human art unlike anything seen before. Finally I am hoping to meet some incredible people and fall into some deep discussions that I will struggle to get out of.
All in all, I'm hoping for a lot, afraid of a few things but expecting nothing. Bring on the kumbh mela!
GOOD LUCK Vijay at the Kumbh Mela
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mum
Good Luck Vijay at the Kumbh Mela.
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Mum