KUMBH
MELA
INTRODUCTION
The Kumbh Mela, believed to be the largest religious
gathering on earth is held every 12 years on the banks of
the 'Sangam'- the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna
and the mythical Saraswathi. The Mela alternates between
Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar every three years.
The one celebrated at the Holy Sangam in Allahabad is the
largest and holiest of them. The Mela is attended by millions
of devotees including Sadhus. A holy dip in the sacred waters
is believed to cleanse the soul. The Sangam comes alive
during Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh with an enormous temporary township
springing up on the vacant land on the Allahabad side of
the river.
LEGEND BEHIND THE CELEBRATIONS
The legend goes thus- the gods and the demons fight for
a pot of nectar (Amrit Kumbh): the nectar of immortality.
Lord Vishnu, disguising himself as an enchantress (Mohini),
seized the nectar from the demons. While fleeing from the
evil ones, Lord Vishnu passed the nectar on to his
winged mount, Garuda. The demons finally caught up with
Garuda and in the ensuing struggle, a few drops of the precious
nectar fell on Allahabad, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain. Since
then, the Kumbh Mela has been held in all these places,
alternatively, every 12 years.
DESCRIPTION
The festival is religiously most important for the Hindus.
At every Kumbh occasion, millions of Hindus take part in
the celebrations. During 2001 Kumbh at Allahabad, more than
35 million devoteed gathered at the site. Saints, priests,
and yogis from all corners of India, gather to participate
in Kumbh. Of all the places, Allahabad is the most sacred
place and is the site for the Maha Kumbh Mela (The Grand
Kumbh Fair).
Taking a holy dip at the Kumbh is considered to be the sacred
of all holy traditions. All pious Hindus hope to take bath
at least once in their lives. Kumbha Mela is truly a celebration
of spiritual and religious practices that has ultimate effects
on the entire humankind. Purifies one from the sins.
The festival is visited by the most amazing saints from
all across India. The Naga Sadhus are one such, who never
any cloth and are smeared in ash. They have long matted
hairs and are not at all affected by the extremes of heat
and cold. Then there are the Urdhwavahurs, who believe in
putting the body through severe austerities. There are the
Parivajakas, who have taken a vow of silence and go about
tinkling little bells to get people out of their way. The
Shirshasins stand all 24 hours and meditate for hours standing
on their heads. Spending the entire month of Kumbh on the
banks of Ganga, meditating, performing rituals and bathing
thrice a day, are the Kalpvasis.
The Ardh or half Kumbh is held every six years on the banks
of Sangam in Allahabad. Second only to the Kumbh in sanctity,
the Ardh Kumbh also attracts devotees in millions, from
all over the world.Magh Mela is an annual event held at
the Sangam.
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