Maha Kumbh Mela | Allahabad 2013

Last week when a colleague brought up the topic of Maha Kumbh Mela over lunch, it was quite surprising to see him know so much about this religious festival. Calling Kumbh a religious festival, actually, would be akin to calling Woodstock a music show. Kumbh Mela, whose literal translation would be 'festival of urn', urn symbolizing the elixir of life, is more of a religious phenomenon. It witnesses one of the largest, if not the largest, gathering of humans on the planet, who come together for a spiritual bathe in the sacred rivers of India.

With limited understanding of my own religion and mythology, I'm afraid I would do a rather ill job of expressing the importance or the emotions associated with Kumbh. Stating facts, such as, number of people who participated in the last Maha Kumbh Mela (2013), which at 120+ million is more than the combined population of the five largest states in US (viz. California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois) and nearly 1.5x the population of Germany (largest country in the European Union), would merely express its colossal scale.

However, having witnessed the Maha Kumbh Mela of 2013 in person, I do have my own impressions from the experience, which come rushing to mind at the mere mention of Kumbh. I remember seeing more people than I have ever seen gathered together in one place. People from all over India, rich and poor, huddled in masses, having walked miles with their luggage, their children and elderly, for being where they were in that moment. But not a hint of tiredness or exhaustion on their faces. Those who walked towards the sacred river, walked with a strange determination and drive in their step, and those who walked back, had a an even stranger look of calm on their face, which belied all the inconveniences they'd been to reach the Kumbh.

For me, it was probably the most overwhelming experience I've ever had. To the point where I almost forgot the camera on me which I had carried to capture some of these sights. Following are few images that I did manage to take.

To ensure smooth access to the river banks, the entire area is cordoned off for vehicles miles ahead. With no public transport options available, people, young and old, have to walk for miles before they even catch a glimpse of the holy river.

Its incredible how an entire new city comes alive on the banks of the river. The enormous logistical requirements are beyond compare. However, as a recent Harvard study points out, the organization of Kumbh was even better than Fifa.

From our vantage point we could see the horizon teeming with people.

Inside the main grounds one could catch glimpses of the holy mystical men with their otherworldly outlook.

Even as day gave way to the night, this was a city that was never meant to sleep. Tide after tide of devout people kept pouring into the holy waters, where the promise of elixir of life awaited them.

As for me it was finally time to head back home and re-collect my thoughts and try to understand what everyone else around me already seemed to know.

Special thanks to Vijayant Bist and his wonderful family, for extending a very warm welcome to a total stranger and making my trip a delight. And to Anurag Byas without whose camera none of this would have been possible.

Music @UCLA

Ever since I've arrived on UCLA campus, academics have kept me quite stretched for time. Recently however, I discovered these amazing student led music concerts that happen on campus, and was so excited when I could finally attend a couple of these.

First one is by 'Awaken A Cappella'. These guys were super fun.. Davis courtyard inside Fowler Museum where the concert was held, provided the perfect ambience for this wonderful evening. Here are some snapshots and videos of their performance:

This next one was called 'Henry Lim and his String Quartet', and unlike what would usually be expected of a string quartet, these rockers belted out tunes from 90s rock bands, including hits by Nirvana, Oasis, Nine Inch Nails among others. Not just that, the concert was held in the last place you'd expect a concert to be held at - the Powell Library. Here are some snapshots of their performance:

Louvre - Feeling Lost Amid the Great Works of Art

Louvre must be on the bucket list for most of us; after all it is amongst the largest museums in the world. Its iconic glass pyramids, are probably the second most recognizable architecture in Paris. It is where the famed Mona Lisa resides. And to be surrounded by over 35,000 pieces of artworks and sculptures, is quite an exhilarating feeling.

So, when in Paris, I had budgeted an entire day to spend there, much like everyone else I presume. After a couple of hours of being inside Louvre, however, that initial euphoria began to give way to a feeling of confusion and being lost.

You see, with 35,000 objects on display, you get a little over two seconds per object, assuming you have 24 hours to view the museum. However, the museum is open for just 12 hours and 45 minutes, even on its longest days (i.e. Wednesday and Friday). That left me with less than a second and a half to admire each masterpiece. So I wanted to pick my galleries very carefully, and make sure I see all the “must-sees”.

Since all the walking and map reading was taking its toll, I decided to take a coffee break. As I stood there a dim smile grew on my face. I was not the only one facing this dilemma. Every where I looked, I could see faces just as hurried and confused as I was; navigating through their maps, to get to the next masterpiece on their must-see list.

Eugene Delacroix's masterpiece "Massacre of Chios" (top right corner) lost out to a map, in grabbing the man's attention

Special thanks to my wife Arti, whose map reading skills and sense of direction were invaluable.

A Walk To Remember

"Let's just stay in this one city for a couple of weeks and not go anywhere else in Europe", I said without an iota of doubt in my mind. I knew Paris would never disappoint us.

The fleeting passage of a tourist has never held much appeal to me. I wanted to visit Paris to soak in the parisian sounds, the sights, enjoy my daily cup of coffee with fresh baguette, laze around in the cafes, and walk idly through the winding streets... 

If all the world's a stage, as Shakespeare once alluded, then it must be called Paris. Here, you are never too far from a new act unfurling somewhere. You may stumble upon it in a busy metro station, find it just around the turn, inside a cafe, at a street corner, on the promenade next to Seine, on the steps of a church. Where it patiently waits...

Waits for you to arrive and set it in motion. And before you realize it, you are a character in this play yourself.

Paris is not just in its churches, museums, Seine or Eiffel, it is equally, if not more, in its bookshops, cafes, gardens, its people and their 'Joie de vivre'.

So when you come here, be not like the hurried grains of sand of an hourglass; instead pause, stand still, raise a toast and let this city come alive around you...

Pierre's Librairie des Alpes on Rue de Seine is a bookshop dedicated to the mountains

Catching up with an old friend

Soap Bubble artist near Fontaine Saint-Michel

Game of chess in progress, at Jardin du Luxembourg

Spontaneous karaoke session inside a metro station

Sketch artists near Place de la Concorde - you can get your sketch done for €20

Waiter, Montparnasse district

Young fans at the grave of the famous French singer Serge Gainsbourg

Seine promenade

Hugo Barahona's beautiful harp performance on the steps of Sacre-Coeur

Paris city view from the Montmartre hilltop

Camera - Nikon D610 

Special thanks to my parents for gifting me the new Nikon D610.

Nikon F3 - Film Photography

The first impressions of photography for me, like for most of us, were by way of film cameras. My father had a manual SLR, a USSR made Zenit camera, which as we gradually moved to automatic and then digital cameras, lost out on its ease of use. However, film photography and film development always held a certain mystique for me.

Fortunately, some 4 months back, a friend gave me a lead of a friend of his who was looking to sell his Nikon F3. After doing some research (youtube and online reviews), I discovered that F3 is a fantastic manual camera, and was one of the longest production cameras by Nikon. It remained in production for over two decades (1980 - 2001). Think about how often camera models get outdated today.

So with Nikon F3 and some cheap, old and expired NOVA GOLD B&W rolls in my arsenal, I bravely ventured into the realm of film photography.

Over the intervening months as I shot film, I was overwhelmed by the mechanical precision and simplicity of this camera. The beautiful sound made by the film winder can lead almost anyone into a transcendental state.

And recently, when I finally received the digital scans of the developed rolls, the results were beyond my imagination. It is said that film has a certain way of capturing the soul of the moment. I could not agree more.

Portrait of a beautiful young lady, Delhi, 2013

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi, 2013

Indian Ocean performing at NH7 Weekender in Pune, 2013

Camel trading, Pushkar, 2013

Man and his camel, Pushkar, 2013

Local entertainer, Pushkar, 2013

Special thanks to Yashwant Mahajan for letting me borrow his Nikon 135mm f/2.8 lens, and to Pat.

City of Pushkar

Three years in the waiting, but finally when it happened, the journey was worth every moment of it.

The arid landscape belies the vibrancy and zest for life of its people. Welcome to the city of Pushkar.

Pushkar Lake with Lord Brahma's Temple at the opposite end

A small town based around a lake at its heart. Its compactness makes it apt for being explored on foot. You can walk from one end of the city to the other, through the bazaar and back again without ever getting tired. Faces are friendly, and there is always a tune being played just around the corner, from a local string instrument called ravanhatta.

Blocks used in making patterns on cloth. Instructions on right are in Hebrew

Yoga centres are very popular among tourists

                              

  

Local Vendor

Ravanhatta player

Just outside the town and up the sand dunes, there is another magic unfolding. Thousands of camels, stretching over miles, have been gathered together for trading, in one of the world's largest camel fairs.

Decorations

Pushkar Mela - largest camel fair in the world