Kumbha Mela

During the bathing processions for the Kumbha Mela, the Sanyasi Akharas show their martial roots.  These mounted ascetics leading this procession are beating the kettle-drums that used to call the ascetic armies into battle.  The trappings on the horses are reminiscent of royal imagery (which these ascetics claim for themselves), and the large orange banner is a the symbol of the akhara.  These ascetics belong to the Niranjani Akhara, and this photo is from the procession on Chaitra Amavasya (March 28, 1998) 


 
Niranjani Akhara Sanyasis on their way to their bath on Chaitra Amavasya.  Several of them can be seen carrying weapons, which is one remnant of their martial past, as is their nudity, since these ascetics would go into battle completely naked.  Many of them are wearing garlands as a sign of status, but these are removed and places in the Ganges prior to their bath.  In the past competition between groups to bathe first resulted in bloody battles, and these rivalries sometimes erupt in the present too--a few hours after this picture was taken, there was a riot between two competing akharas. 

 

The Kumbha Mela bathing processions on April 14, 1998 were actually prohibited by the authorities, because of worries of more rioting between different groups of sanyasis.   A last-minute agreement was finally struck, and the processions carried on as usual, except that the Juna Akhara and its subsidiaries (the Agni and Avahan Akharas) decided not to take part (in an unrelated issue, the Atal Akhara also boycotted the Kumbha Mela baths).    This picture shows the Mahanirvani Akhara procession, which is led by ascetics carrying the banners which function as the akharas' military insignia. 


 

Mahanirvani Akhara Sanyasis in procession for the Kumbha Mela bath on April 14, 1998.  The authorities actually prohibited these processions because of worries over intra-sanyasi violence, but a last-minute agreement was finally struck, and the processions took place under a very heavy police presence, as this photo shows.


 
More Mahanirvani Akhara sanyasis on their way to their Kumbha Mela bath. As you can see, some of these ascetics put their garlands to strategic use. 

 
An integral part of the Kumbha Mela processions is honoring the ascetics who lead the akharas, and these men (and far more rarely, women) are seated on ceremonial thrones, and conveyed to the bathing-place as in a chariot.  This picture shows one of the Mandaleshvars of the Mahamirvani Akhara.
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