New York Times: Worshiping at the Kumbh Mela

New York Times video report on the 2013 Kumbh Mela festival held in Allahabad in India currently.

The event, every 12 years, is billed as the biggest gathering on Earth. More than 100 million people are expected to attend the 55-day festival.

Hindus believe a festival dip will cleanse sins and help bring salvation.

In 2001, more than 40 million people gathered on the main bathing day of the festival, breaking a record for the biggest human gathering.

For festival-goers, one of the most memorable spectacles of the day was when the Naga sadhus, or ascetics, sprinted into the river reciting religious chants, many clad only in marigold garlands.

The naked ash-smeared men arrived in a colourful procession and waded into the chilly waters of Sangam - the point at which the rivers converge.

The Kumbh Mela has its origins in Hindu mythology - many believe that when gods and demons fought over a pitcher of nectar, a few drops fell in the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar - the four places where the Kumbh festival has been held for centuries.

View my complete gallery of images from the Kumbh Mela

FROM THE ARCHIVE 2/200

Image © Mark Coughlan

An image from my latest body of work entitled 'Maha Shivaratri', taken at the holy Hindu Shivaratri Festival at Girnar, near Junagadh in Gujarat (India), 2012.

You can view the full gallery on my website: http://www.imagetheearth.co.uk/

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY: FROM THE ARCHIVE 1/200

With several photography commissions and personal projects confirmed for 2013, I'm going to start devoting much needed time and love to promote my work and share details with the world. 

I will shortly be launching details on Photography Tours to India in 2013 - watch this space as they say!

One idea suggested to me was to add one photo a day on here from my extensive library of images giving background info on each image. I have literally 1000's of images over the last 10 years, many have never seen light of day. I'll give it a go and see how long I lasts....

FROM THE ARCHIVE 1/200 
The start of the harvest season for the Pao tribe, near the North-Eastern town of Keng Tung close the border with China. Myanmar (Burma), 2008. Image © Mark Coughlan

View the full sized image and complete gallery at: http//www.imagetheearth.co.uk

MARK COUGHLAN PHOTOGRAPHY - MY NEW WEBSITE

Recently I relaunched my newly designed website portfolio highlighting my various Travel Photography projects.
If you haven't checked out my new-ish website, feel free to have a look - http://www.imagethearth.co.uk/

 The newest galleries include 'Maha Shivaratri' and 'Portraits of a Saint'. Two of my great passions in life are travel and photography.

I believe that travel broadens our view of the world. Experiencing other cultures, meeting people from other communities and other countries and seeing the beauty, and sometimes ugliness of the world drives me to capture my experiences through photography.

Through my photography I strive to document my own personal experiences, to capture scenes and events as I see them and to share with others the beauty and diversity of the world I’ve seen. As the images of other photographers have inspired me to explore the world, I hope my own contributions will inspire others to do the same.

I feel privileged to have visited many of the most inspiring and diverse countries this world has to offer including Myanmar (Burma), Mongolia, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, China, Cambodia and Bolivia to name but a few.
I am fortunate to have photographed some of the world’s greatest festivals and events including two Maha Kumbh Mela festivals (India), Maha Shivaratri (India & Nepal), Nadam (Mongolia) plus many others.

 I always apprieciate any feedback on my work so feel free to leave a comment below or better still via my Facebook Page, or you can tweet me @MarkCoughlan Thanks for looking! Mark

Documentary of Naga Babas of Juna Akhara at the 2007 Kumbh Mela in Allahabad

This video is part of the excellent BBC series 'Extreme Pligrim' presented by Peter Owen Jones, a Church of England Vicar. This episode was from at the 2007 Kumbh Mela in Allahabad when he meets the Naga Babas of Juna Akhara.

I did laugh out at the part at 2:15-2:55 - 'Tell him to put 100 Rupees down here' :-)

 The next Kumbh Mela is in January-February 2013 and I will be travelling to India for this in mid-February. If you are interested in coming and forming an informal group to travel to India to this pilgrimage then get in touch - markacoughlan@yahoo.co.uk - Photography tuition thrown in as well!