Kumbh Mela Festival Day One

Bathing in the Ganga during the Kumbh Mela Festival (1/160th at 3.5, 135mm at ISO 320)

Bathing in the Ganga during the Kumbh Mela Festival (1/160th at 3.5, 135mm at ISO 320)

Kumbh Mela Festival (Largest religious gathering in the world)

Kumbh Mela Festival gathering on the banks of the Ganga

It’s been a crazy trip, but we’ve arrived safe and sound in Delhi.   I don’t enjoy long distance flights, and I thought the 15 hour flight was going to be an issue, but a mixture of Dramamine and Air Supply… ended up being  “Sweet Dreams” for  this flying phobe.

The next morning we woke up in the city of 12.5 million inhabitants and began our journey to Haridwar. The driving is pure chaos….I’m sure there’s some method to the madness, but I’m not sure if I’ve defined it yet. I think our guide put it best when he said driving in India is part art and part luck. All I was thinking is it if this is art, then it’s a Jackson Pollock painting…

This country is simply fascinating. The colors, textures and smells can almost overwhelm your senses. At one point I decided searching for images seemed pointless, because there were so many interesting unique images presenting themselves that simply standing still was the best option. The Kumbh Mela Festival will bring one million people to Haridwar tomorrow it seems crazy for this small town boy. Even living in a city like Chicago I’ve never seen such a large concentration of people in one place. There’s an overwhelming sense of purpose and pride that’s powered by a sincere devotion to their values—it’s simply awe inspiring.

Tomorrow the plan is to slow down on the photography front and just take it all in. I’m always surprised by how much I miss by having my camera up to my face constantly. This is one of those events that you simply need to absorb….slowly… not always with a 70-200mm protruding from your eye.

On the Geek Front:
I’ve been photographing primarily with my 70-200mm and my 85mm. My 16-35 hasn’t even been out of my case, but I’m sure it will see more action in Agra when I photograph the Taj Mahal. I’ve been extremely pleased with my Think Tank speed belt…it has been a life saver and especially in this heat (90+ degrees) it’s been nice not lugging a back pack. But what I’ve been most impressed with on the tech side is my new Black Rapid RS-7 strap. The R-strap is nothing new for many photographers, but I had been putting it off for quite some time thinking I wouldn’t like the feel. The reality is this thing is a neck saver and so comfortable that I feel foolish for not having picked one up earlier.

p.s. if I used overwhelming a few too many times I apologize but it’s been overwhelming…in a good way

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 3:00 pm. It is filed under equipment, General, Travel and tagged with blackrapid, equipment, India, thinktank. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.