MAHA KUMBH MELA WITH PRE-TOUR AT VARANASI JAN-FEB 2025 (DATES TBA)
with Jeremy Woodhouse & Luka Esenko
12 Days/11 Nights
Every twelve years, tens of millions of men, women and children gather on the flood plain of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers in Allahabad, India, for the Kumbh Mela, the largest gathering of humanity for religious purposes on the planet. Pilgrims come from across India and around the world to bathe in the water where the two sacred rivers meet. Such mass bathing in the Ganges has been recorded for more than 2,500 years.
Maha Kumbh Mela
Allahabad is built on a very ancient site of the Aryans formerly known as Prayag. It is located at the junction of the holy rivers Ganga and the Yamuna. The city acquired its present name in one of largest religious gathering in the world, is held every 12 years at the confluence of the holy rivers attracting millions of Hindu devotees.
When Jupiter is in Taurus or Vrishabha and the Sun and Moon are in Capricorn or Makra, the Maha Kumbh is held at Prayag (Allahabad) on the vast ground of Sangam i e. confluence of Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati.It is the largest Kumbh in terms of number of Sadhus and Devotees.
The Prayag Kumbh Mela is the largest and holiest of all melas and is believed to be the most auspicious.
Mauni Amavasya
We will be there to witness the most auspicious bathing day, Mauni Amavasya (Main Royal Bath 2nd Shahi Snan) on Date TBA. Mauni Amavasya is the New Moon Day of Silence in the lunar month of Paush (Jan-Feb). It is the most important bathing day in holy rivers, preferably in a confluence.
The Sangam
This is the particularly auspicious point where two of India’s holiest rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna, meet one of Hinduism’s mythical rivers, the Saraswati. All year round, pilgrims row boats out to this holy spot, but their numbers increase dramatically during the annual Magh Mela, the six-week festival held between January and March, which culminates in six communal ‘holy dips’.

Itinerary
Day 1: Jan — Arrival in New Delhi
Upon arrival you will be personally met and escorted to our nearby hotel for check in. The group will get together in the lobby of the hotel at 7:00PM for an orientation and dinner.
O/N Holiday Inn Airport Hotel (D)
Day 2: Jan—Fly to Varanasi
O/N Rashmi Guest House or similar (B,L,D)
Day 3, 4 & 5: Jan —Varanasi
O/N Rashmi Guest House or similar (B,L,D)
Day 6: Jan—Drive to Allahabad
O/N Private Tented Camp (B,L,D)
Day 7-12: Feb—Allahabad
O/N Private Tented Camp (B,L,D)
Day 13: Feb—Fly to Delhi. End of Tour
O/N Holiday Inn Airport Hotel (B,L,D)






Arrival, Departure & Visa
Weather
Language
Currency
12 SPOTS OPEN
$TBA
DEPOSIT: $500
SINGLE SUPP: $TBA DOMESTIC AIR: $TBA
Maximum Group Size 12
Tour Fee Includes
- Accommodation on twin sharing basis for 11 nights as per the itinerary in hotels mentioned.
- One double room on free of cost for Tour leader.
- Meal Plan on All meals basis
- Transport services will be in Tempo Travellers
- Services of local English speaking guide during the city tours.
- 2 Boat rides in Varanasi
- All currently applicable taxes.
Tour Fee Excludes
- Any international or domestic airfare quoted separately
- Travel and medical insurance coverage.
- Expense of personal nature like tipping, laundry, and telephone/fax calls, alcoholic beverages, camera/video camera fee at monuments, medical expenses, or any other items of personal nature.
- Tips and Porterage at airport/hotels
- Any other expense/changes due to unforeseen circumstances while in India
Paying by check
If you would like to pay your deposit and/or balance with a check, please make the check payable to: Pixelchrome, Inc and mail it to:
Nicole Woodhouse
Pixelchrome, Inc,
605 Rouen Drive,
McKinney TX 75072
Paying by Wire Transfer
If you would like to pay by Wire Transfer please contact nicole@pixelchrome.com for bank account details.
Equipment Checklist
- Bring you own laptop computer and storage media
- Camera body(s)
- Lenses, 24-70mm zoom and 70-200mm zoom or similar lenses are very good for pictures of animals in the landscape. A 150-600mm zoom is ideal for the more distant animals and birds.
- Cleaning kit for cameras and lenses
- Rain/dust covers for cameras and lenses
- Charger for batteries
- Spare batteries
- Spare Memory cards
- Memory card reader
- USB key to exchange images
Also good to have
- Tripod