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Picture
this -a multitude of mendicants, sadhus, religious
and spiritual leaders of the Hindu sect thronging
the land mass near Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh in North
India.
Your guess is as good as anyone's- It's the fervor
of Kumbh Mela. "Mela" in the Hindi language
depicts a gathering and the holy "Kumbh"
denotes the "pot" or urn that held the
elixir of life coveted by both the demons and demi
Gods in mythical India.
The Maha Kumbh Mela is a spectacle of a lifetime
held every 12 years. The Kumbh Mela season usually
starts in January and is celebrated on till the
end of April. If you did miss it the last time,
the solution is to join in the half Kumbh or "Ardh"
Kumbh which is celebrated once every six years.
In modern times too, the Kumbh Mela displays a flavor
reminiscent of ancient India. 19th January 2007,
is an important date and a part of the Ardh Kumbh
celebrations at Allahabad. This day called the "Mauni
Amavasya" hopes to witness some 20 million
pilgrims taking holy dips at the 'Sangam' in Allahabad
or ancient "Prayag Raj". Devout Hindus
believe that on Mauni Amavasya, the sun, moon and
the planets - Venus and Mercury are in the zodiac
of Capricorn, a rare but perfect alignment of planets.
The day deems special because the above planetary
position enables the sun's rays, when they fall
on the Ganges to turn the river water into nectar
or 'Amrit', hence a dip in the holy river is akin
to drinking nectar on this day. Although, all new
moon nights or 'amavasyas' are auspicious for a
holy dip, on this particular day, pilgrims do not
utter a word or keep "maun"(silent) until
they bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges.
The year 2007 cites important in the history of
the Ardh Kumbh as celebrations gather momentum at
Allahabad this year. Paush Purnima (3rd January)
and Makar Sankranti (14th /15th January) solemnized
"Gangasagar Snan" in multitudes.
More zest is expected in Allahabad on 19th January,
the Mauni Amavasya or the "New Moon of the
Saints" day. This day is the first and main
bathing or cleansing day for holy folks where gilded
and naked processions by mendicants mark spiritual
passions. It is also a day when new members are
initiated into the innumerable holy monastic orders
or "Akharas" for the first time.
The three auspicious Hindu dates -Basant Panchami
(23rd January), Maaghi Purnima (2nd February) and
Maha Shivratri (16th February) in 2007 is expected
to add to the gusto amongst monastic orders and
Hindu believers to uphold their ranks in the various
spiritual folds.
Prayag is the holy site that marks the confluence
of the mystical river, Saraswati (not physically
visible but believed to flow in the recesses of
the earth or to exist on the spiritual plane) -
joining the two most ancient and revered Indian
rivers-the Ganges and the Yamuna.
This 'Sangam' or the confluence of the holy rivers
is considered sacred. The Hindu belief is to scatter
or immerse one's cremated ashes at the 'Sangam'
to attain 'Moksha' or salvation- a freedom from
the infinite cycle of life and death. The Maha Kumbha
Mela or the great festival of the ethereal urn symbolizes
attainment of this state of 'Nirvana' or 'Moksha'.
The Kumbh Mela, one of the most important of Hindu
spiritual gatherings takes place every three years
in rotation between the four major Hindu pilgrim
centers-Allahabad, Haridwar,
Ujjain and Nashik. Hindu believers in millions congregate
at these locations to cleanse themselves, symbolizing
the attainment of 'Moksha'
Haridwar is located in the state of Uttaranchal
Pradesh where the holy Ganges flows in from the
Himalayan plains and believed to flow out some 15,500
miles towards the Bay of Bengal in the East coast
of India. The ancient city of Ujjain is located
on the banks of the Ksipra River in Madhya Pradesh
and Nashik on the banks of the Godavari River flows
past the West coast of Maharashtra.
The Kumbh festivities could be reckoned as a colorful
pageant of diversities in the Hindu religion, exposing
facets of the cult or occult nature of Hinduism
as a diverse religious order.
Hermits, sages, learned yogis and miracle men all
rub shoulders and exhibit their spiritual prowess
through their "chakraa" or meditative
senses to commoners and missionaries alike. The
Kumbh Melas attract all sorts, from traditional
to non-traditional followers of Hinduism from the
Himalayas, Swamis and missionaries from South of
India and also from shores abroad -Africa, Japan,
Europe and also America. The faces of ash-smeared
mendicants, the "Digambers", add to the
mystic appeal of the Kumbh "snan". The
diversity of the learned men and their commoner
devotees but speak volumes about the overwhelming
mass appeal that India continues to wield over other
countries spiritually---a trend which has intensified
with tour operators cashing on this season and developing
tour packages around the Kumbh Mela and its destination.
Though there is no air link to Allahabad, airports
from metro cities could be accessed directly through
airports in Varanasi
and Lucknow about 147 kms and 210 kms respectively
from Allahabad. There are rail links from Allahabad
to cities like Calcutta Delhi,
Patna, Guwhati, Chennai,
Mumbai,
Gwalior, Meerut, Lucknow Kanpur and Varanasi. Allahabad
is on National Highways (NH) 2 and NH 27 and taxis,
cycles and auto rickshaws are the common means of
transport within the city. Most tours are locally
centered on the Allahabad city, the Fort and the
University.
2007 is also likely to unfold the twelfth "Dharma
Sansad" or religious congregation of the Vishwa
Hindu Parishad and arrangements are on for the third
Vishwa Hindu Sammelan or World Hindu gathering to
be held to be held on February 11, 2007 within the
Ardh Kumbh premises. Such conferences depict the
enormity of the Kumbh Mela as a breeding ground
for religious discourse and discussions and challenge
the devotees to learn and unlearn from these talks.
The origins of the Kumbh Mela are traced to the
Hindu mythological tale of "Sagar Manthan"
(the Great Churning of the Ocean) which resulted
in the pitcher of nectar or the "Amrit Kumbh"
to emerge from the ocean. Despite the Devas (Gods
and Demi Gods) and the Asuras (demons) putting in
equal efforts to attain the coveted urn containing
the elixir of life, it was the Devas who are believed
to have tricked the Asuras and fled with the pitcher
or "Kumbh". Whilst the Asuras chased the
Devas, drops of the eternal nectar fell on certain
areas and marked the four destinations of Allahabad,
Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik as sacred "dhams"
and thus became associated with the Kumbh Mela for
eternity. ENDS
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