Plethora of rituals mark Sadhvi's Coronation

This story and pictures which were exclusive to Hindustan Times happened because you as a journalist or fotog build relationship within the seats of power so that you could be tipped of their movements thus ensuring that your newspaper dose not miss anything. I got a call on December 11th, 2003 morning asking me to come to the residence of Uma Bharati since she was heading towards her new office to assume charge as the first woman Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh state. This call came from one of her closest supporters since I had developed a cordial relationship with the person. I would not like to name the person since he/she still has the well wishes and support of the firebrand leader.
I quickly rushed to her home only to see her car leaving the main gate so I followed her all along the route and what you get to see is the Sadhvi's religious side.
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After a fleeting visit and customary Cabinet meeting the day she took oath of office, Chief Minister Uma Bharati's first day in the office today was marked by a stream of visitors in the form of top bureaucrats and long meetings with trusted aides and ministers Kailash Vijayavargiya and Dr Gaurishankar Shejwar.
But not before the Sadhvi, with a tonsured new look after offerings at Balaji Temple in Tirupathi, had said her long prayers and fed fruits to beloved bovines on her way to Vallabh Bhawan.
Mow we know why she refused to sit on the Chief Minister's chair on the day she took oath. Perhaps, she was waiting untill after a visit to Tirupathi and different kinds of puja ceremonies at the Chief Minister's office to seek divine blessings.
Since Digvijay Singh Government was ousted summarily on the twin planks of bad roads and power crises, it was apparently in order that she held long meetings with Kailash Vijayavergiya- trusted ally and PWD Minister and Dr Gaurishankar Shejwar- who holds the key Energy department among others.
Secretariat sources said that the nature of all her meetings today was informal, more in the introductory form with the bureaucrats.
However, the issues of road and power were discussed with the respective ministers in broad terms.
Decisions regarding the Cabinet meeting on Friday afternoon were taken at the Chief Minister's meeting with the officials.

EVILS EXORCISED
As soon as she entered the office, Pandit Pandey and his assistant started the ancient Hindu rituals for propitiation of God and exorcising evils. The Puja went on for more than 10 minutes amidst chanting of mantras. Uma remained standing all through as directed by the priest.
Those present on the occasion were her new Secretary R Parasuram, Chief Secretary AV Singh, Uma's elder brother Swami Lodhi, BJP Organization Secretary Kaptan Singh Solanki, her trusted aide Shailendra Sharma and a host of others.
After she took the seat, the new Chief Minister asked the priest to apply 'Tilak' to the foreheads of all the people present in the room, to which they readily obliged.

Faithful Women

These pictures of Indian Hindu woman show the religious side of them. They were captured by me during my visits for the Maha Kumbh Mela at the Mahakaleshwar temple near the river Kshipra at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh in 2004. The Hindu woman flocked in large numbers to drench themselves with the holy water, which takes place once in twelve years. Apart from the Indian Hindu Woman they were some foreigners too.


A elderly lady and a sadhvi from orrisa performs the aarti on the banks of the river kshipra in Ujjain on the first Shahi Snan at Simhastha Maha Kumbh Mela.



Hindu ladies take a holy dip at Kshipra river on the eve of the beginning for the holy month at the Simhastha in Ujjain.






A local woman pushes other Hindu woman to the Kshipra River in her push cart for rupees 10 per person, (left) even as a couple take a dip at the river kshipra in the foreground of a partly submerged shivling and nandhi in Ujjain. Thousands of Hindus have already started to take the holy dip to avoid the huge gathering during the holy month of Simhastha alos know as the Maha Kumbh Mela.

Male family members hold on to a lady claiming to be possessed by ghosts even as a pundit try's to perform a pooja to route out the evil spirit at the Asha Ram Bapu Akhara (left), as a Hindu Devout pray in front of the more than 1.8 corer mini clay Shiv lings which was made by the devotees attending the Simhastha Maha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain.

Hindu devotees offering their prayers on the banks of river Kshipra during the first shahi snan in the month long Simhastha Maha Kumbh Mela in Ujjainnear the Mahakaleshwara Temple.




A Hindu Devotee silhouetted against the sun rays from the river Kshipra at Ujjain while she washes her clothes from the holy water, (left) as another woman pours the holy water to seek the blessings of the Sun god during the Holy month of the Maha Kumbh Mela in the once in 12 years Simhastha.



A lady walks back to the banks of river Kshipra after taking a dip on the eve of the beginning of the holy month (top left) A Hindu devout seen offering her prayers to the sun god on the banks of river Kshipra on the first shahi snan (top) and woman volunteers of a Hindu group seen with caps showing the anti cow slaughter movement of the state government of Madhya Pradesh in Ujjain during the Month long Simhastha Maha Kumbh Mela.


Artist From England seen sketching the Simhastha Camp area in Ujjain at the month long Kumbh Mela from one of the Akhara (left) as a Japnese lady chats with a Indian sadhu at an akhara (right). The Kumbh mela is an huge International attraction in which hundreds of foreign tourist come over to India to witness the Indian religious ethos.

A Japanese woman along with her friend from Brazil who did not want to give their names pray to the sun god with both their palms locked into one on the banks of the river Kshipra (left) as another woman from Germany enjoys her holy bath with the holy water in the river Kshipra during the holy month of Maha Kumbh Mela at Ujjain in 2004.

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