Dubki-Prayagraj

November 13, 2019

Day 1-Lucknow Airport :-

So finally it was that time of year when all you read, watch is about Kumbh mela. This was our third Kumbh, as the dates of Shahi snan were published we booked our flight tickets to Lucknow to witness the Kumbh magic in Allahabad (Kumbh was held here after 12 years) . It was a misty winter morning when we landed on Lucknow airport.

Lucknow to Allahabad:-

We booked a car and headed to Allahabad which is around 5 hours drive. After reaching Allahabad, we hired a boat and started our journey to Triveni Sangam, it is the meeting point of three rivers - Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati (which is a mythical river, supposed to have dried up more than 4,000 years ago).Sangam itself is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit and the boat ride is pure bliss. The slightly brownish Ganga meeting the slightly greenish Yamuna is indeed a view to look after. If you take a boat ride to the gently flowing waters of Ganga and Yamuna, you'll be able to make out the difference in colors of water from the two rivers.As we reached the sangam, there was bridge made of series of boats where you can keep your belonging or do puja before taking dip, we straightway headed to take dip. The water was freezing, but after first dip we almost forgot about the temperature of water. After the holy dip we headed to visit the ghats. We stayed in one of the Sadhu Kutiya (hut) , were reminded of all winter wears we missed to pack.We were sleeping on thick layers of yellow grass inside hut, covered by 3-4 blankets and on top of us another layer of 3-4 blankets. Next day morning when we woke up, it took us while to feel our bones :). But sleeping in Kutiya (Hut) is one of the wonderful experience we have had this time. We headed to Kashi after having tea.

Day 2- Allahabad to Kashi - We reached Kashi in 2 hours, straightway went to have Kashi darshan. Then took a boat ride to all 80 ghats. One of the splendid experience was to witness the ganga aarti in the evening in Ghat's while seating boats. it was around 6 PM and we headed to Dasaswamedh Ghat to see the Ganga Aarti from the river.The whole atmosphere gets resonating by the chants of the priests and filled with the smell of the fragrant sticks. We lighted small lamps and floated them in the river. so many people were doing that and the river got lighted up with these diyas. This was truly mesmerizing experience.

Now we look forward to 2021- Haridwar kumbh, which will be our forth and final kumbh :).