As we come closer, we realize that it is not a few silhouettes we would meet, but thousands of people standing on the shore, bathing in the two rivers, or sitting in boats. Dozens of colours, a human sea in the middle of a no man’s land of several hectares.
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| The first sight, on the Yamuna side |
The ground is bare, only pure soft sand, no green, no grass, only beige. 50 meters away from the shore, tents – organized geometrically – cover the rest of the place. This gathering is the annual Magh Mela, religious happening where almost 1 Million Hindus come to celebrate. Without this information, we would have thought this is a refugee camp.
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| Colours and miltary tents |
Boat people on overcrowded embarkation, people simply waiting – but not waiting for something in particular – basic accommodation, military tents of the exact same model, few electric devices meant for the most basic needs, tractors taking care of the space… This land is not meant for living, but arranged so that the most basic aspect of living could be offered.
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| A bare land worked for this only occasion |
We don’t feel like spending time in the middle of this. Once more, we are out of place, hardly understanding anything that happens, not even feeling any sense of spirituality. The festival is only starting and this is the beginning of a wider event. We go quite fast away, but first we walk until the Gange and salute him one last time.
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| Farewell to the Gange |
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