Eureka, eureka!

As a child, I used to think Kumbh is a place where people are lost and found. But this conception changed when I decided, much against my parents’ will, to visit the congregation at Haridwar, and meet the mysterious nagas. There were zillions of questions on my mind, the most burning being - why do nagas stay naked?
Since I was travelling with fellow journalists, I felt secure. My quest for knowledge began early morning just before the nagas were to take out a procession before the holy dip. After my first-ever shahi snan, I set out to explore. Soon, I came across an ash-smeared naga with long, braided, unwashed hair. I said, “May I…” Surprisingly, before I could continue, he handed out his visiting card and said, “Come child, come get your questions answered like these souls who have come to meet us from across the seven seas.”
It was still February and I was cold even after the layers of clothing I draped myself into. I hesitated, but asked, “Don’t you feel cold?”
“It’s all in our minds. If you think you are cold, no volcano can make you warm enough. But if you try, Earth has a solution to everything,” he said, while setting alight a bunch of dry wood for me. I found that the nagas were much more attached with Earth than we could ever imagine. Their food, energy and even clothes – all that is needed to lead life is provided for by Earth.
While he was speaking, I mustered enough courage to ask ‘THE’ question.
“It’s our way to show people that if you can keep your desires under control nothing in the world is impossible,” he said. But even while they claimed to be naked, I found a certain nagas peculiarly stylish in the way they smear their bodies with ash. Stripes, polkas, and other designs – I found that the nagas definitely knew how to strike a balance between staying green and stylish. I picked up my camera and he posed for me with a burning chillam.