{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Revered Hindu holy men lead thousands of pilgrims to bathe in the Ganges river' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c0fbd8eafeecae14eddc' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c0fbd8eafeecae14eddc' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nRevered Hindu holy men lead thousands of pilgrims to bathe in the Ganges river\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003e1. Various early morning procession of Naga sadhus (ash smeared holy men) heading towards the Ganges river 2. Mid shot man wearing costume and carrying sword in the procession 3. Holy men carrying flags 4. Various of Naga sadhus in...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003e1. Various early morning procession of Naga sadhus (ash smeared holy men) heading towards the Ganges river \u003cbr/\u003e2. Mid shot man wearing costume and carrying sword in the procession \u003cbr/\u003e3. Holy men carrying flags \u003cbr/\u003e4. Various of Naga sadhus in procession\u003cbr/\u003e5. Chariot in the procession as the sun rises\u003cbr/\u003e6. Wide of security guards at the Ganges river\u003cbr/\u003e7. Crowd watching the Naga sadhus\u003cbr/\u003e8. Pan right to left of security guards at festival\u003cbr/\u003e9. Various of Naga sadhus returning after bathing\u003cbr/\u003e10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Holger Gross, German tourist:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Its a bit strange for us Germans to see so many people coming to one place, enjoying, hearing the prayers and lots of people. For us its really bizarre in a way.\"  \u003cbr/\u003e11. Wide of crowd gathered at the banks of Ganges for ritual bathing \u003cbr/\u003e12. Mid shot people bathing\u003cbr/\u003e13. Rear view of holy man performing ritual of offering water to the Sun God\u003cbr/\u003e14. Boats filled with pilgrims\u003cbr/\u003e15. Mid shot holy man \u003cbr/\u003e16. Wide shot holy men in camp\u003cbr/\u003e17. Mid shot holy man smoking Charras (Marajuana) \u003cbr/\u003e18. Wide of naked sadhu sitting cross legged. \u003cbr/\u003e19. Decorated trident\u003cbr/\u003e20. Wide of Holy man Baba Amar Bharti with a disciple who lights his chillum pipe\u003cbr/\u003e21. Holy man smoking the chillum pipe tilt up to raised hand with long finger nails\u003cbr/\u003e22. Mid shot holy man smoking\u003cbr/\u003e23. Wide holy men smoking in camp\u003cbr/\u003e24. Close up of visitor smoking\u003cbr/\u003e25. Tourist taking a photo of holy man wearing beads that cover his entire body\u003cbr/\u003e26. Close up holy man wearing beads\u003cbr/\u003e27. Mid shot holy man giving ash to devotees as a blessing\u003cbr/\u003e28. Mid shot poster of Shiva, Hindu God of destruction\u003cbr/\u003e29. Rear view of Holy man covered with beads\u003cbr/\u003e30. SOUNDBITE: (Hindi) Baba Vishwanath Giri, Holy man \u003cbr/\u003e\"Kumbh is where you can see the holy men who have gathered here from near and afar.  Just by seeing them you can get rid of your sins.\"\u003cbr/\u003e31. Women praying and washing clothes in the Ganges river\u003cbr/\u003e32. Woman putting leaf with flame in the water as a mark of devotion to the Ganges river. \u003cbr/\u003e33. Plastic bags and flower waste floating in the river\u003cbr/\u003e34. Various of cleaners using brooms to remove rubbish from the water \u003cbr/\u003e35. Various of holy man Baba Khadeshwari standing on one leg\u003cbr/\u003e36. People watching Baba Khadeshwari\u003cbr/\u003e37. Rear view of  Baba Khadeshwari standing on one leg \u003cbr/\u003e38. SOUNDBITE: (Hindi) Sukhdeva Nanda Bharti, Holy man:\u003cbr/\u003e\"The water is not the same anymore. Water from the factories has polluted the Ganges river. The holy men want change.  We call the water from the Ganges 'Our Mother'. It should be kept clean.\"\u003cbr/\u003e39. SOUNDBITE: (Hindi) Baba Vishwanath Giri, Holy man:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Waste water from the factories is being drained out into the river. This should be stopped and pure water should flow along the Ganges.\"\u003cbr/\u003e40. Various of holy man dancing and chanting with pot balanced on his head \u003cbr/\u003e41. People watching and chanting\u003cbr/\u003e42. Various of holy men arriving on horses and chariots\u003cbr/\u003e43. Rear view of procession     \u003cbr/\u003eReligious leaders in India are threatening to boycott the country's most famous Hindu festival.\u003cbr/\u003eThe \"Ardh Kumbh Mela\" or Half Grand Pitcher Festival is one of the largest gatherings in the world. \u003cbr/\u003eEvery 6 years some 70 million pilgrims head to Allahabad in northern India to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.\u003cbr/\u003eBut the festival has been blighted this year by thousands of pilgrims protesting that the rivers are too polluted to bathe in.  \u003cbr/\u003eThe festival started on 3rd January 2007 and lasts 45 days. \u003cbr/\u003eTwo of the biggest bathing days of the festival are January 19 and 23. \u003cbr/\u003eThe Naga sadhu are revered Hindu holy men traditionally naked but for the ash smeared on their bodies.  \u003cbr/\u003eThey are leading thousands of pilgrims to the waters of the Ganges river in Allahabad where they will bathe in the hope of washing away their sins. \u003cbr/\u003eThe ritual is called the 'Royal Bath.  It takes place at Sangam, the holy confluence of three rivers, the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. \u003cbr/\u003eThe Naga sadhus belong to one of the most highly revered sects in India and traditionally lead the other pilgrims to the waters.  \u003cbr/\u003eThe sadhus are followed by the heads of Hindu monasteries, many of them pulled in on elaborate silver sedan chairs, or palanquins. \u003cbr/\u003eThe ritual is started by scattering flowers over the waiting pilgrims and chanting \"Har Har Gange\" (Long live the Ganges). Believers than take a dip in the water. \u003cbr/\u003eAccording to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a celestial war, spilling nectar at Allahabad from a pitcher, or Kumbh. \u003cbr/\u003eIt is believed that a dip in the sacred waters will bring good blessings, cleanse the soul and help pilgrims achieve divine salvation by ending  Samsara (the process of reincarnation). \u003cbr/\u003eA German tourist says it's a bizarre sight. \u003cbr/\u003eNaga Sadhus are often see smoking charras - or marijuana - from a large pipe called a chillum. They believe the smoking ritual helps them attain Nirvana.\u003cbr/\u003eThere is no shortage of amazing sights at the festival. Holy man Baba Amar Bharti has been keeping his right hand raised for more than 10 years.\u003cbr/\u003eSurrounded by fellow believers, the Baba sits in his camp smoking charras and blessing those who drop in.\u003cbr/\u003eHoly man Baba Vishwanath Giri wears 1,1000 Rudraksha beads set in 1,100 garlands covering almost every inch of his body.\u003cbr/\u003eHe is a devotee of Shiva - the Hindu God of destruction.\u003cbr/\u003eBaba Vishwanath Giri says he has had beads on his body since the previous Kumbh fair in 2001.\u003cbr/\u003eBut trouble has been brewing at the festival  this year.  Thousands of holy men have threatened to boycott ceremonies. They say the divine river is too polluted to bathe in.\u003cbr/\u003eSukhdeva Nanda Bharti says the holy men are demanding action, saying the Ganges is sacred and should be kept pure. \u003cbr/\u003eHoly man Baba Vishwanath Giri says waste water from the factories is being drained out into the river.\u003cbr/\u003eOrganisers of the festival say hundreds of staff are working round the clock picking up rubbish and flowers left behind by devotees everyday.\u003cbr/\u003eAnd state officials have promised to release fresh water via canals and dams for the duration of the festival.\u003cbr/\u003eKhadeswari Baba has been standing on one foot for the last 27 years.   \u003cbr/\u003eHe says the situation must improve if the sanctity of the river is to be maintained.\u003cbr/\u003eHowever holy men continue to pour in from across the country in the hope that the spirituality of the event will overpower the effects of the pollution. 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