When I went to the Nashik Kumbh Mela in 2015 ( read all about it - Here and Here! ), I went purely as a tourist. I had heard many dialogues like 'kumbh mei bichre do bhai', 'kumbh mele mei bichar gaye', 'kumbh mei bichre aulad', 'kumbh mei wapas mil gaye dono' etc etc, in various bollywood movies. So, that had piquied my interest to see what Kumbh Mela really was. I saw the crowds near the holy Trimbak, venue of the Kumbh...and I was like ....oh, so this is what its all about. It was crowded of course, but, not to that level I had imagined. It was organised better too, so, I didn't understand how anyone could get lost. The Kumbh is also organised in Ram Kund in the city itself, and, its the same story. It does split the crowd to some extent. But the Prayagraj Kumbh is something else. Being held in north-indian state like Uttar Pradesh, one can immediately imagine the chaos that'd happen. Not judging, but, states like Maharashtra and down south are much more disciplined compared to the north-Indian states. There has been instances in the past of massacres, stampedes and various scandals in the various Kumbhs, most having occured in the ones in north-India. Anyways, I haven't been to the ones in Prayag and Haridwar ( although, I've been to Haridwar in a different occasion ); so, will not comment much about how it is organised. I assume, it must be a humungous task to handle such large crowds as this kumbh gets the largest number of devotees, it being held at the holy confluence site of the Ganga, Yamuna and the Mysterious invisible Saraswati river.
Kumbh Mela has some interesting stories about its origin and history, and of late I've been greatly intrigued by them. These stories has been passed down generations and even though 'science' rules most of our modern day thinking, seeing that such volume of devotion exists till this day is mind-boggling nonetheless. And to think, this mela which was earlier known as Magha mela too, is mentioned in the ancient texts like Rigveda, Mahabharat and Puranas. The origin is unknown, but its said when Jupiter entered Leo or Simha ( which happens once in 12 years ) or mesh and kumbh, people from far away would come to the four holy spots to bath as this would wash away their sins and give moksh. These four spots were Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik where the elixir or nectar or amrit of imortality was considered to have fallen during transportation by Vishnu ( under the guise of Mohini ), which in turn was churnned by the devtas and asuras during the Samudra Manthan. Thus, these places had acquired a certain mystical power and spiritual value and recieves scores of pilgrims through time immemorial especially during the Kumbh. Methinks ~ If so many has believed it for so long, it must be valued.
Ganga near Har Ki Pauri #Haridwar wher millions bath in its #ghats #travelphotography #travelblogger #lp #ttot #trip pic.twitter.com/pSC8uemJU1
— ☆ ♪ NandiniDéka ♫ ♡ (@NandiniDeka) March 12, 2016
haridwar, another one of the four kumbh mela venues...
The bathing ritual especially at 'brahmahurat' is considered main amongst others when the water during this time doesn't remain simple water, but, becomes 'amrit' due to celestial position of the planets and their effects, and people throng the sites during Kumbh to absorb the divine energy. Thus, the 3 holy dips are taken fully submerged in the water ( with mental chants ). However, it is said something extraordinary too happens during the first bath ritual at starting day of the Kumbh. A strong gust of wind or andhi is supposed to come at the location, and it is said that this is no ordinary storm - but, its actually some of the highest spiritual sadhus and saints ( who has achieved almost semi-physical state due to high vibrations acquired by intense meditaion ), who comes down from the regions like remote himalayas and kailash area to have the holy bath or 'shahi snan' as it is called, at the 'sangam'. before everyone else. Nobody see them physically arrive as it is the strong whirl of wind that they come through. Sometimes they also appear in the form of lights that come down like shooting stars. Also, the ones to take bath after them are the naga sadhus who have also attained high vibrations and spiritual expertise. They take the holy dips fully naked, so that every cell in their body absorbs the divine amrit and is awakened to the core. Different other sadhus solo or related to various akharas ( many smeared in bhasma or ash, wearing almost 30-45+ kgs or 11,0000 bead worth rudraksh malas ) and their hierarchies from all over also partake in the baths. And last, the common public. Its interesting to watch the sadhus during this time. Some have really strange abilities that they have gained expertise In via meditation and practice. Many do show their skill and bizzare abilities, while most may ignore and be immersed in their own world. These unique beings are to be seen only during time of the Kumbhs, else, remain hidden.
Over recent years, the authorities has established many ammenities to be availed by the public during the Mahakumbh to make it a pleasant and hassle-free experience. These can be in the form of living tents ( of various budgets ) and camps for accomodation, washrooms, food counters, help center and guides, lost and found announcement booths, and systematic crowd management protocols. There are also other tours during the Kumbh Mela, like photography and boat rides, yoga and pranayam packages, experiences like Kalpvasi, Aghori, Naga and Akhara curated. Important dates being on Makar Sankranti 14th January 2025, Mauni Amavasya 29th January 2025, Basant Panchami 3rd February 2025. This year's Mahakumbh mela begins on Mon, 13 Jan, 2025 and ends on Wed, 26 Feb, 2025 at Prayagraj, UP. Are you attending the Kumbh?
kumbh mela is world's largest spiritual congregation of people.
Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela is a major pilgrimage and festival in Hinduism. It is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12 years, to celebrate every revolution Brihaspati completes. The geographical location of Kumbh Mela spans over four locations in India and the Mela site keeps rotating between one of the four pilgrimages on four sacred rivers. In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on the banks of Ganges, In Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on the banks of Shipra, In Nashik, Maharashtra on the banks of Godavari, In Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical invisible Sarasvati ( wiki ).
Address : Prayagraj ( allahabad ), Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik.
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