Four Million Hindus Hold River Rites

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 935, 31 March 1930, Page 12

Four Million Hindus Hold River Rites

Hosts of Pilgrims Gather at Ganges A GREAT FESTIV AL Hosts of pilgrims from all parts 0 . India gathered to bathe at the jm2 lion of the Canges and Jumna j centlv on the most auspicious day c . Kumbh Mela, the great Hindu festbai I that is held here every is years. Fro" Akbar’s Fort, which overlooks the eo E . fluence of the rivers, masses of peop'= could he seen stretching for niils along the river bank. There were no means of accurately estimating tbetr total, but one official with experience of such festivals put it at aw 4,000.000 —a larger number than hi ever before been known. The Kumbh Mela pilgrimage this year is probablr the greatest in its history. The pilgrims, mainly simple-minded village folk, were in cheerful hob. day mood and bent on performing the ceremonies prescribed by their priests these included, besides bathing, tb* shaving of heads, this neeessitatin the presence of thousands of barber;' Important in the day's proceeding were the Akharas. or processions L holy men of the different sects, wh i marched to the confluence at the ap. pointed times to bathe. Some were accompanied by bands and gaudy bantiers, elephants with gorgeous' trap. Pings, and gayly caparisoned horses others attempted no display, passing in pairs with linked hands. There vas a procession of women ascetics, with shaved heads and faces smeared with ashes. Scattered about the Mela ground were numerous fakirs, doing penance by suingiug the head downward over a fire or lying on beds of nails. In the evening an elephant from one of the processions became excited and ran amok for 20 minutes. Scatter, ing the crowd, the beast made for t collection of thatch and bamboo hut,, through which it dashed, crumbling them beneath its weight. The fires in some of the huts were upset and tbe huts themselves began to blaze. Water was readily available, however, and no great damage was done. The beast was eventually quieted and led attar with two other elephants. No one was seriously injured.