Ashok Kochhar – 
Kumbh is one of the most important pilgrimages for Hindus.
It is the largest peaceful gathering on our planet and is celebrated once in 12 years and occurs in four places in rotation at Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain.
The last was celebrated at Allahabad (Prayag), India in 2013 attracting about 100 million people from various parts of the world.
Collective Prayers
Being a student of religion, I experienced much more than a photographer.
I consider the Kumbh as collective prayers, a unique ancient concept of ‘collective energies,’ where millions of people gather at a particular place and pray.
This is a concept of completion of Yin & Yang circle for the ultimate prayer.
Every saint from all the directions comes to this powerful event for the prayers, irrespective of his sect or tradition of Hindu religious practice.
Intense energy
During this time the energy of the place is very intense.
This is the one of the significant event where poorest of the poor and richest of rich comes to this Holy event and bath in the same waters.
There are no causalities even to such a magnitude of fair. One feels as if some eternal force is operating the systems.
The last Kumbh in Allahabad started on the most auspicious day in January when a specific star constellation appears, namely Jupiter in Aries/Taurus, and Sun and Moon in Capricorn.
Similar specific star constellations are followed at other places as well. A unique factor is that it happens at a holy river across all the four destinations.
It is said that taking bath at that specific time one gets away all his/her sins of the past.
I have many happy and inspiring memories with a ‘Mahamandaleshwar (Supreme leader of a Sect) during my 17-days-stay in Kumbh 2013.
Immense Chaos
There is immense chaos at the first look at the Kumbh.
It is overwhelming to see such large crowds gather at one place; it is even more amazing to experience how this chaos still works.
There are seekers from all sects of society, people searching for their Moksha (Salvation) amidst the revered consortium of holy men and people looking for a first-hand experience of the spiritually charged India.
It is upon reaching the Kumbh that one gets drawn into a unique trance and time loses its pace.
There is a sea of humans, who lose their identity and move towards an unseen, unexplained experience, which seems so attainable suddenly.
It is here that you realise that, extreme chaos can lead you to immense introspection and how getting lost is sometimes the best way to find your way in life.
About Ashok Kochhar
Ashok Kochhar is an artist, a visual expert and an esoteric personified. While his images leave the spectators gasping, his thought and expression stir the deepest emotions and cast a spell of magnificence hard to explain in words.
It is often said that only a painter in a photographer can create wondrous and exotic visuals. In about two decades (he started only in the late 1980s), Kochhar has worked for almost all major corporates in India. His engineering qualifications and background in Engineering brings into focus accuracy and sharp vision, both important attributes to photography.
Throughout his career, Kochhar has worked on high quality equipment, matching international standards. He is stated to be among a handful of photographers who use the best technology and techniques available globally.
