Pilgrimage

The clip begins showing the most famous Hindu pilgrimage, the Kumbh Mela. It takes place in India, in the River Ganges. Up to 40 million people come to be purified in the water. That’s five times the people living in London. There are many smaller pilgrimages too. Hema describes the experience: “the atmosphere is so fantastic everybody is so high on energy and it feels like your opening the doors to heaven and entering heaven itself.”
A pilgrimage is a journey people take to get closer to God. Hindus try to do at least one pilgrimage in their lifetime. Rivers, mountains and temples linked to different gods and goddesses, are all popular places to visit. Simran and her friend describe their own pilgrimages, and emphasise the emotional impact: Four quotes sum it up.
“It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining on the temple and it was really bright I couldn’t see I had to keep my eyes squinted. I felt really close to God and I thought to myself ‘wow… we should pray every day to the sun god to give us light and make the day beautiful.”
“I went to Ambaji when I was about ten. It’s like a big mountain you have to climb about a thousand steps, tiring and so hot, it’s so satisfying when you see Ambaji ma.”
“Pilgrimage isn’t just a holiday, it’s a spiritual experience.”
“When you come back - um it’s how you’re treated, my parents they treated us like kings and queens, they would bow to our feet. They say that you've been to heaven and you've come back. You become compassionate towards people you start understanding people around you, you start respecting ways of life and understanding their values.”