Is anyone here planing to be there? I’ll be in India in that period, considering visiting for a couple of days.
That is one of the biggest human events on the planet. Good luck finding a place to stay. When is it this year?
Camps are just about to start, big dates are from mid January and February. Rainbow fam usually has a camp.
According to the site linked below, more than 400 million people are expected to visit the Maha Kumbh Mela 2024 in Prayagraj https://mahakumbh.in/kumbh-mela-2025-dates-place-events-and-guide/ For reference, that's more than the entire population of the United States and Canada combined, all staying in one city at about the same time. I think it's the sort of thing where you'd either have to really be attracted to the spectacle of an event that large, or be a firm believer in the spiritual merit of attending. I think there are some movies about the Kumbh Melas, and that might give you a feel for what this event would be like (though this gathering may have several times more people).
I would take that number with a full bag of salt. Besides almost certainly being inflated (and I doubt there will ever be accurate numbers for an event run by a state run by a firebrand religious far-right political monk in a country run by far-right nationalistic politicians, all taking pride in the event), it is for the total number of attendees throughout a month and a half, many are there only for a day or two. The highest number of attendees at any single time is always orders of magnitude smaller. And one can try to avoid the main dates with the biggest crowds. It is still an enormous gathering and a genuine logistic achievement. I am mainly concerned with the health risks - from your typical seasonal airbornes to stomach issues and even cholera that has been present at Kumbh before. Respiratory problems are also common from all the smoke (a lot of open fire) and dust (it is all on sand),
The Self or Buddha nature is there within yourself, and the greatest pilgrimage is to the Self within. This can be attained anywhere in the world. If you attain enlightenment and stay in a place for a period of time, this place would well with positive energies and becomes a sort of place of power or pilgrimage spot for others and aid them in their spiritual pursuit. This (enlightenment ) is accomplished through regular meditation,cultivating awareness or mindfulness in the midst of work and duties, contemplation of scriptures to orient the thought process, being in a prana rich environment like the beach or forests , company of enlightened sages, solitude and silence, virtuous conduct and so on. Awareness destroys karma. Nisargadatta Maharaj attained enlightenment by being in a constant state of 'I am' , and Maharshi Devamrita, an enlightened sage I know, attained enlightenment by being in a constant state of awareness for around six months while performing his duties as a pharmacist. I avoid crowded places and usually go for prana rich environments like the beach or forests, as well as the company of enlightened sages or saints. Imo, you can find high energy ashrams or monasteries or less crowded pilgrimage spots around the world for spiritual practice. If you are interested in the Kumbha Mela for educational purposes, do research the place and facilities available well as part of due diligence.
