A Drop from the Goblet of Immortality

Maha Kumbh Mela, or the great Kumbh Mela, is the largest religious festivity in the world, with up to a hundred million people participating in the event. It takes place in India, at the confluence of the Jammuna and Ganges rivers, and although primarily Hinduistic, people of various creeds gather here in peace from all over India and many parts of the world. Kumbh Mela takes place once every 12 years, but the great Kumbh Mela is held only once in 144 years. The colourful mixture of yogis, spiritual masters, naked Nagas and ascetics who spend years standing on one foot or holding one hand above their head, creates a unique mosaic of these devout people who usually seek solitude. Several Czechs emerged from this ocean of people, and film director Viliam Poltikovič with cinematographer Michal Hýbek lived among them for 2 weeks. They came to capture the atmosphere of this tremendously dynamic gathering of spiritual seekers of peace, and to witness the event from a European perspective.