I was invited to Trimbakeshwar for the Shahi Snan 29 August 2015 ,,by my humble Naga Guru Shree Vijay Giri Maharaj Triveni of Juna Akhada ,, He is the one who introduced me to the fascinating world of the Kumbh and Maha Kumbh and the world of Naga Sadhus ,,
We first met at Trimbakeshwar Sadhugram Nasik Kumbh 2002 and this was revisiting my earliest memories of my first Kumbh Mela back again after 12 years ..When I reached Trimbakeshwar on 25 August my Guru was not there as he had to leave the Kumbh , his Guru was serious and so I met Shree Vijay Giri when he arrived from Mumbai with his disciples on 26 August morning ,, he was overjoyed to see me ,, I had met him at his Ashram in Mumbai too after two years ,, I was with him at the Maha Kumbh Allahabad .
We were 2 km away from Trimbakeshwar in a Naga Sadhu Sadhugram at Pingal wadi Phata next to Shankarcharya Jagadguru Of Dwarkas Mutt ,, in a very short while I had become friendly with all the Naga Sadhus predominantly from the Maharashtra belt ..
I visited Trimbakeshar too, shot the procession of the naked Naga Sadhus on 27 August another procession of the Udasin Akhada ..and on 28 August went to Ramkhund shot few Akhadas of the Bairagis at Tapovan including the Sadhu who sits on a platform for several years , he will come down from his tree house this Diwali,.. I shot videos and took a dip in the Tapovan..
I returned back to Trimbakeshwar ,, and early 29 August morning at 2 am my Guru began dressing up to leave for the Shahi Snan at Trimbakeshwar ,, he performed the Ling Kriya , than he dressed me up as a Sadhu too.. all saffron placed vermilion on my head and we left in a car to the chant of Har Har Mahadev ..lots of roadblocks and my Gurus disciples following us on foot , we reached Trimbakeshwar parked the car and in the crowds I lost my Guru , so I ended up once again in the procession of His Holiness Avdesh Anandji Maha Mandleshwar Juna Akhada , he waved out to me and I told him I was a Muslim documenting Hope and Hindutva as a Message of Universal Peace Hope and Humanity , he asked his followers to take my visiting card asked me to meet him after the Shahi Snan he gave me his blessings and his card with his picture that I added on the reverse side of my Press Card .. and entered the Trimbakeshwar Kund shot the Nagas taking the Holy Dip I shot from 3 am till 6am all the Naga Akhadas in the company of a friend Jeetendra from Reuters Allahbad and than left to shoot the crowds and walked all the way back to my tent .. a very long walk..
When I reached Sadhugram my Guru had already returned and perhaps this was my best Kumbh as a photographer I met a lot of Naga Gurus I got a call from my Tantrik Guru Kapoor Khamakya he was at the Snan but we could not meet ,, I shot Aghori Sadhus and I was to leave for Mumbai by train on the 30 August , but a friend Vinod Bhai was leaving in his car last evening I decided to go with him and it was a nightmare all main roads leading to Mumbai from Nasikh blocked but we took a very long route I reached home late midnight .
This is the storyboard of my spiritual trek into the heart of Hope and Hindutva ,, I will divide it into two parts Nasikh Kumbh Trimbakeshar 2015 Nasik Kumbh Ramkundh Tapovan 2015 .. The naked Naga Sadu pictures and the Shahi Snan will be restricted from public view in keeping with Flickr guidelines for frontal nudity and the Ling Kriya pictures too .. The Naga Sadhu procession pictures will be restricted that I shot from Pingal Patha till Nilgiri Parbhat.
You have to be a Flickr member to see those pictures ,,
I also shot Golden Baba laden with gold taking the dip at Trimbakehwar Shahi Snan ,, sadly I could not take the dip but I shot instead ,.. all the Digambari Naga Sadhus taking the dip..
Om Namo Narayan..
