Searching for Grace in the Maha Kumbh

Made Flesh

Let me paint a picture for you: 

On a single day, a crowd of more than 76.4 million, called by their immovable faith, took a dip in the holy waters of the river ‘Sangam’, which is a confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. While the Ganges is clear and shallow, the Yamuna River is greenish, deep and one of the most polluted rivers in India. The Saraswati River is invisible and considered mythical. 

This is believed to be the world’s biggest religious festival and humanity’s largest gathering. About 400 million people are expected to attend this event throughout the 45 day period, spreading out across the banks of the rivers, spanning some 12kms. 

Even in a country with the highest population in the world, the magnitude of the crowd is overwhelming. Multitudes are visiting from all across the country to witness this ‘Maha Kumbh’, which occurs every 144 years as per Hindu mythology. Such an event forces me to pause and reflect on a community with a common mission to achieve ‘nirvana,’ aka ‘salvation’.

The majority of the devotees, with limited means, managed to find a place in tents or on the streets over the days of ongoing religious activities, while they waited for their turn to take a dip. Tragically, hundreds sleeping on the roadside were crushed under the hasty feet of other devotees thronging the area to reach the holy river. Many lost their lives, or misplaced their families and loved ones. 

Simultaneously, a five-star spirituality experience was also observed in the same Kumbh. Ultra luxurious tents, en-suite bathrooms, carpeted floors, elegant furnishings, yoga, spa, special paid tours for an exclusive experience of taking a holy dip in a private boat, extensively enjoyed by the privileged from within and outside the country. These VIP areas were insulated from the chaos outside, showcasing a stark contrast to the struggle of the majority.

The striking disparity between the pious poor and religious tourism of the privileged is only a small example of the world we live in. The worth of life and relationships is framed by two perspectives in this context. As the American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel quotes, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

The audacity of Luke 6:27 (”…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill treat you…”) and 6:35 (“…but love your enemies, do good to them…”) comes across as a question by virtue of not knowing who my enemy is. Not indulging in a relationship in any form becomes the most apparent way of living with a clear conscience, so that ‘no evil is done’ and no enemies are made. The indifferent attitude is the ‘being’ we have acclimated to and challenges the incarnational  approach of Jesus’ being. Loving your enemy takes a relationship and is an encouragement to see, do, and be. 

Secondly, it throws light on the mass population, poverty and disparity in the country which is overwhelming and makes it difficult to do good. My travel to developed countries has brought me to a realization that it’s effortless to be ‘kind and compassionate’ in a privileged nation, in comparison to a developing nation which can be exhausting and discouraging. However, this evokes a poignant yet profound thought, arousing a weird sense of hope in the fact that grace flows like a river and gets collected in the lowest valley, even if the river is the most polluted like the Yamuna River or mythical like the Sangam River.

Dwelling Among Us

What makes us indifferent, and towards what?