Perhaps because I was wearing Sadhu garbs while documenting the Nasikh Kumbh 2015 and perhaps because I looked more like a mystic than the mystics I shot ,,I got access to the inner being of my photography subjects ,, my camera did not bother them at all .
And as I was staying in a Naga Sadhu camp , made a big difference too I could walk into any tent ,, I also shot the camp of Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarkapeeth Swami Swaroop Anandji..
Neither was I hassled by cops I spoke Marathi and they were extremely polite I always had a Press Card round my neck just in case ,,though I knew the Maharashtrian police cadre could not be as insensitive as the Malwani cops ,,
I was not very adventurous this Kumbh as I was at the Maha Kumbh Allahabad , that had a huge Juna Akhara at Sector 4 .. here the Juna Akhara was on Brahmagiri a long steep walk of 2.5 hours and Neel Parbhat ,, I had shot the latter ,,
My Tantric Guru Kapoor Khamakhya was at the Kumbh but we could not meet , he is the most powerfully connected Sadhu of the Yoni Order ,, this was one regret ,, I did not meet my French photographer friend Laurent Salesse .
This being my third Kumbh I did not face many hurdles and hopefully if things settle my end I might just go back.. all depends .. on the guy at the top.. Neeli Chatriwale ..
