My Journey to Prayagraj in Search of Shiva at Mahakumbh

There are journeys you plan, and then there are journeys that call you.

Until recently, I barely knew what Mahakumbh Mela truly was. I had always been immersed in the scriptures, the Puranas, the stories of Shiva, yet somehow, this grandest spiritual gathering on Earth had never truly entered my awareness. Perhaps because I come from Kerala, where the cultural focus on Kumbh Mela is not as strong as in the North.

Even when I told my family, they had no idea what it was. But when something is meant to happen, it finds a way.

The Call of Prayagraj

I had no real intention of going to Kumbh Mela, not until I randomly stumbled upon a viral video of a Baba who had an IIT background. Something about him caught my attention – not necessarily devotion, but a trigger, a pull, a familiarity I couldn’t explain. That was when I started researching about Prayagraj, the Kumbh, and how to get there.

The more I read, the more obsessed I became. But getting there? That was a whole other challenge.

• I was in Kochi, and Prayagraj was literally across the country.

• First, I had to fly to Delhi.

• From Delhi, I needed a train to Prayagraj.

• From there, I would have to walk for miles, as vehicles were restricted.

To make matters worse, it was peak Kumbh season – trains were full, accommodations were expensive, and the entire city was overflowing with people.

Still, I couldn’t sleep. The thought of missing this once-in-a-lifetime event, something that happens once in 144 years, was unbearable.

That’s when a German-Indian friend I had met on a Discord astrology server said something that struck me:

“If I were in India, I would take a loan just to go. You have the chance – why are you hesitating?”

Then he said,

“Shiva is there. I’m 99% sure he is physically present, taking a dip every day.”

I didn’t need proof. I didn’t care if I saw Him or felt Him. If someone told me Shiva was there, that was enough for me.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. In waking hours, in my dreams, in every moment, all I could think of was Mahakumbh. That was it. I was going.

Miracles Begin When You Say Yes to Shiva

The moment I made the decision, things started aligning in ways I couldn’t explain.

1. Trains were impossible to book. But somehow, I found a last-minute First AC ticket.

2. I had no idea how I’d get to my camp. But strangers appeared out of nowhere to help me.

3. Roads were closed because the President of India was visiting. But somehow, I kept finding a way through.

The moment I landed in Delhi, I got news that my original train ticket didn’t get confirmed. I was supposed to travel in Third AC, but now I had no seat. Panic should have set in, but I kept my mental dialogue to Shiva:

“Make it work. Just do something. I trust you.”

And then, in a completely unexpected turn, my First AC ticket was confirmed. From no seat to VIP travel. I knew then – this was Shiva’s hand.

The moment I reached the Delhi railway station, I saw something I had never seen before – a flood of people. The entire station was packed with thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people. It felt like I was being swallowed by a sea of humanity.

But somehow, I got onto my train.

Inside my First AC coach, the chaos outside disappeared. The journey was smooth. The people I met were kind. It was like being in a bubble of Shiva’s grace.

Arrival in Prayagraj: Walking Through Chaos

By the time I reached Prayagraj, it was already past 10 AM – two hours delayed. The first thing I heard was that President Draupadi Murmu was visiting the Kumbh Mela that same day.

Roads were blocked. Routes were diverted. Security was everywhere.

This meant that I would have to walk at least 11–15 kilometers just to reach my tent accommodation. With a suitcase in hand, under the scorching sun, this seemed impossible.

Then, as if orchestrated by unseen hands, a random man approached me,

“Where are you from? Where do you need to go?” he asked.

Something in me told me to trust him, so I did. He took me as far as he could, without taking a single rupee. He then handed me over to another stranger, asking him,

“Can you take her the rest of the way?”

The new man hesitated but agreed. When we finally reached the point where I had to walk again, I tried to pay him, but my Google Pay wasn’t working.

“Maybe you weren’t meant to pay me,” he said and left.

It felt like Shiva Himself was ensuring I reached my destination.

Finally Reaching the Sacred Waters: Triveni Sangam

Reaching my tent itself was a long, exhausting journey. But my true destination was Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mystical Saraswati.

The first time I attempted to reach the Sangam, I ended up at Arail Ghat instead. There was no visible confluence, only chaos. Something about the place felt off, so I decided not to take a dip there.

Instead, I walked. For nearly two hours, under the scorching sun, dehydrated, exhausted, but determined.

By the time I finally reached the real Triveni Sangam, my exhaustion vanished.

The energy of the place was entirely different. It was as if all my tiredness, all my struggles, all the hardships simply dissolved.

Then, something beautiful happened.

I stood at the banks, holding my shivling tightly in my hand, watching the waves dance under the golden sun. The water was freezing, but the moment I stepped in, I knew this was why I had come.

I stood there for a while, hesitant, unable to bring myself to take the plunge. Then, three women – strangers, but sisters in faith – came up to me.

“You want to take the dip?” one of them asked.

I nodded.

Without hesitation, they held my hands, and together, we plunged into the waters.

The icy shock of the Ganga filled my body, and in that moment, I wasn’t just a traveler anymore – I was part of something eternal.

I dipped three times, letting go of everything I had held onto. I didn’t know what was being washed away, but I knew I had left something behind in that water.

The Akhadas: Meeting the Sadhus of Mahakumbh

After my dip, I set off to explore the Akhadas – the sacred sects of renunciates who gather only during the Kumbh.

But what I found surprised me.

I had expected to feel a deep spiritual connection among the ascetics, a sense of belonging or understanding. But as I walked from one Akhada to another, I felt strangely detached.

The sadhus were there, but there was nothing drawing me to them. The atmosphere was powerful, but it wasn’t my path.

Unlike the thousands of people who stood in awe, asking the sadhus for blessings, I just watched in silence. These were men who had given up the world, yet I didn’t feel the pull to follow them.

Perhaps this was another lesson – spirituality is not about fitting into predefined roles.

Final Thoughts: Did I Find Shiva?

After everything – the chaos, the exhaustion, the sacred dip, the journey through the Akhadas – did I find Shiva?

The answer is both yes and no.

No, because I didn’t see Him standing in front of me in a human form.

Yes, because He was there in every moment.

He was there in the stranger who helped me get to my destination.

He was there in the icy embrace of the Sangam waters.

He was there in the three women who held my hands so I wouldn’t be afraid to dive in.

Shiva is not just a form in a temple, a murti, or a god who appears when you call Him. He is the experience itself.

And that was my biggest realization at Prayagraj.

For those who seek Him, He is already there. He was never lost – only waiting for you to open your eyes.