The meaning of Moksha

An edited version of the article appeared in the Lifestyle section of the Financial Express on Sunday, January 31, 2010/


Meaning of Moksha

Chinki Sinha

Hardwar, January 25, 2010


Sonia went down the slippery steps, waded through the water, and stood a little off from the rest.

Half-submerged in water, she whispered in her distinctly male voice to the river that the water lapping against her feet should wash off the curse, the ambiguous gender that clung to her identity. And when she faced the sun, you could see she was earnest.

At Hardwar , during the Kumbh Mela that rotates between four cities, many pilgrims believe that the Ganges takes away the burgeoning humanity’s sin, transports all of the guilt, and those confessions to the vast sea, and purifies them.

For years, Sonia Kinner has been coming to Har-Ki-Pauri, the ghat where Vishnu himself walked once as mythology puts it, during Kumbh, praying to rid of her gender that lies nowhere, lingering in the middle of the sexes, reducing her to a being whose purpose is to provide comic relief to the universe, and its millions. At least that’s what Sonia thinks. Maybe she will find a place in next birth where she doesn’t have to deal with the “third sex” identity. Then she won’t have to fight for respect, and give up on love as she did once when she told her lover he needed to find someone else who could bear children.

She didn’t come at the crack of dawn like other pilgrims on the first day of the Maha Kumbh. Sonia waited at her house for others to arrive, and then she walked to the Brahm Kund, and slowly entered the water. Six of them mingled with the crowds. In a few moments, their sins and their hopes would, too.

Kumbh, a mega affair with millions coming to the temple town of Hardwar that has spent more than Rs. 550 crores on beautification projects and to create infrastructure for the Kumbh Mela that the town is hosting after 12 years, attracts visitors from all over the world. Hordes of foreign press personnel swoop down on the town to captures images, emotions for their audience. After all Kumbh is the largest religious congregation in the world. The projection for this year is that at least five crore visitors will come to Hardwar either to participate or to witness the event.

For the transgenders, the hijras that flocked to Hardwar from other states like Noori who came from Punjab for a holy dip in the Ganges during Kumbh, moksha or liberation would be in stages. They weren’t seeking a shortcut to Nirvana like the Naga Sadhus or the older people who didn’t want to be born again, as humans or as anything else because they had suffered enough, and wanted to put an end to the cycles of birth. Moksha to them meant liberation from the identity of a hijra, of someone who was unfinished, unfulfilled.

Sonia and Noori and Rama flirted with the men, pulled one young man by the collar to confirm if indeed it was true that a child was born and they could go for the collections, to sing and dance and to amuse.

Sonia is known figure in Hardwar . She was born here, and joined the group of hijras in her teens after she was kidnapped and castrated in a remote place in Uttar Pradesh. She returned as a hijra, who couldn’t ho home and must wander the streets to beg. Every Kumbh, she and others pray for the same thing because it is unbearable to be what they are.

“We are the real fakirs because when Sadhus want, they can return to their people, or wives, to their homes. Where do we go?,” she said. “I never left Hardwar because I know in this blessed town, gods can see my pain and I will attain Moksha one day.”

Security arrangements are unparalleled and around 16,000 police and army personnel are keeping a close watch to avert any untoward incident during the three-month long Kumbh Mela that culminates on April 28.

In 1998, in Hardwar during the last Kumbh, violence erupted between different Akharas or sects on the occasion of Royal Bath. Thousands of Naga Sadhus descend upon the town to take part in the festival, and hold their initiation ceremonies during Kumbh. This year, the Akhara Parishad will adhere to a timetable to avoid any friction. The Juna Akhara, which is the camping ground for Naga Sadhus, or the warrior Sadhus trained in war and use of arms, is the oldest. Around 5,000 young men will shave off their heads, smear ash, and walk naked to the river in a procession after they will be initialized into the Naga sect. For years, the Naga Sadhus have attracted media from all over the world. Now, they don’t want to be clicked at all. Because they are more than a bunch of chillum-smoking ascetics, they said.

If the need arises, they can pick up arms to protect the faith, Parshuram Giri, a Naga Sadhu, said.

At Jwalapur that is on the outskirts of Hardwar, where many of them were camping before they marched to the temple town in a grand procession on Jan. 30, the sadhus were preparing for the feats of magic they perform, and polishing their swords and spears.

For these ascetics, the appeal of Kumbh is in its promise of nirvana, freedom from the endless cycles of rebirths and enusing suffering. In their lifetime, they have managed to break free from the materialistic wrld, shunned its corrupting influnces choosing to stay naked and without possessions. But while they controlled their lives, the thought of afterlife bothered them, Giri said.

"So we come to take the holy dip. Because we want liberation," he said. "Kumbh is special for us. That's why we come. It's the promise of Kumbh. It unites us all."

The town swells to accommodate the sheer number of people during Kumbh, it is all decked, dressed in shimmering lights and fresh coat of paint. It becomes a tent town where tents loom in the horizon. There are luxury tents, too, for the rich and elite. There are affordable tents, too.

It is said that Hardwar rose out of a drop of nectar and the town is dotted with little temples where bells toll every evening.

Salvation, the quest for it, and Hardwar ’s promise, makes the town special for everyone that believes, doesn’t doubt. Here, in this town, salvation has many takers, and local economy gets a push during these festive times.

During this auspicious time, salvation is also smoking chillums with the Naga Sadhus for many. On the banks of the river, a Korean girl, sat with a Sadhu who claimed he was a Naga Baba who roamed in the Himalayas and only came out to face the world during Kumbh. They smoked, and talked about Nirvana.

These are the chillum seekers who come looking for a trip to heaven because they say sadhus have the best of the hash and are more than willing to pass around the peace pipe.

The Kumbh phenomenon is for anyone and everyone. Not just for the seekers of salvation but anyone who wants to experience the reach of faith, or the conviction of people who brave the icy waters and take a dip because they dare to believe.

After Kumbh ends, the town will take a break for another 12 years. But while it lasts, it will continue to enchant and convince that religion is a force and it doesn’t matter whether you dismiss its promises, you can’t challenge its appeal.