Cannabis and the Kumbh
With tens of crores of expected visitors, the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj is among the largest human gatherings in the world. The mythologies associated with the Samudra Manthana and Shiva’s affinity for bhang often associate it with spiritual cannabis use, too. By Karan Madhok
On The Gateways of Faith: Divinity and the Damned in Haridwar
Photo Gallery: A year after another Kumbh Mela, Karan Madhok visits Haridwar to explore a city deeply immersed in the juxtaposition of religion and commerce.
Personal Essay by Prachi Sharma: ‘My father pauses in every retelling of this tale. He wants me to see it. A man in the uniform of an Indian working for the English, in a village courtyard in the late 1920s, his face turning to one side from the force of an open palm. The villagers watching. The Daroga’s hand going to his cheek. A pigeon somewhere on the roof, taking off.’