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Journalism of Courage
Drew Binsky, a United States of America-based travel vlogger, recently shared a frustrating experience after missing out on the Mahakumbh Mela, despite months of meticulous planning. He described the ordeal on social media, explaining how he spent 19 hours in traffic, calling it one of the most exasperating moments of his travels.
The Mahakumbh Mela, one of the largest human gatherings on Earth, draws millions of people from all over the world to Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, where they take a sacred dip in the rivers. Drew had been eagerly anticipating the event for over a year, but his journey took a dramatic turn when he found himself trapped in endless traffic.
“Travel sucks sometimes. Today I failed to make it to Kumbh Mela—the largest gathering in human history where 400 million people come to take a dip in the sacred rivers of Northern India,” he posted on Instagram.
Drew went on to detail the chaos he encountered—roadblocks, checkpoints, barricades, and even thick smog—creating a situation where it felt impossible to get any closer to Prayagraj. He was only able to get 21 km away from the city.
Faced with no alternative transport options, Drew considered walking the final stretch with his bags, in the cold, but ultimately decided against it. He spent the night in his car with his driver, reflecting on what was a rare miss in his extensive travel career.
“Since 2017, I’ve made 1,200+ videos, and this is the very first time that I actually failed to shoot the story. And this one hurts to miss cuz the next time this event will happen is in 144 years from now,” Drew said.
Later, he mentioned that he would be heading to Beirut to take a break and gather his thoughts, concluding with, “India 1, Binsky O.”
The post went viral and Indian users reacted to Binsky’s outpouring in the comments. By the look of the comments section, Indians weren’t really happy with what Binsky said.
One user wrote, “Please don’t blame the county for this. You should have done your research before coming. This is a sacred event, not an influencer gathering. When one plans the Kumbh, he should be ready to walk on foot for a minimum of 7-9 kms with minimum luggage. And you expect to travel in a car with your luggage. Be reasonable for god’s sake.”
Another user said, “You already know it’s the largest gathering in 144 years, what did you expect? very poor planning for an experienced traveller like you. There are 8-10 crore people there today – old, kids, all ages – they made it !!! Guess god didn’t want you hear. Next time!”
However, some sympathised with Binsky. A user wrote, “So sorry you couldn’t make it…. Next time, Try to do it as early as possible.” A fourth person commented, “19 hours of traffic is bonkers.”
