Ujjain - The Holy Nectar

When a single drop of the holy nectar carried in a pitcher by the gods dropped on earth, Ujjain became one of the most sacred places on earth. Together with Haridwar, Allahabad and Nashik the city holds every 12 years the Khumb Mela over a period of about 90 days. It is the greatest gathering of humans on earth, as about 100 million people bath in the holy Shipra river to wash aways their sins. Compared to this Woodstock was a private party. 100 million people on their search of god also bring the infrastructure of this normally mid-size Indian town to burst. When I arrived at the railway station the crowds were unbelievable, even when you are used to Indian railway stations, which unsurprisingly are never places of peace and silence. I was fighting through the human mass towards the "Hotel Smile". I was really lucky, that the owner let me a room, although for the price of a suite in Delhi. He smiled, when he demanded the cash in advance. Normally this is a hint to leave, but with the choice of sleeping on the street I paid. The room would have been a dream for any bug-specialist, but not for the average traveler. I didn't bother and anyway it was time to go down to the river. People everywhere: with and without clothes, elephants were floating over the masses and Sadhus were meditating on bed of nails. It was incredible, what the results of a single spilled drop of nectar was.