Maha Kumbh Festival
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.
Allahabad is located at the confluence of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga. The city is one of the most revered pilgrim centres in the country and has a rich mythological dimension woven into its name. Legend has it that the mythical Saraswati River flows in the recesses of the earth, and joins the Yamuna and the Ganga in Prayag Raj, the ancient name for Allahabad. The confluence of these holy rivers, known as Sangam, is considered a most sacred place for the Hindus. They believe that after they die and are cremated, they would attain moksha, or freedom from the endless cycle of birth-death-rebirth, if their ashes are immersed at Sangam.
Allahabad, along with Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik, is one of the four cites where the Kumbh Mela is held once every 12 years. The origin of the Kumbh Mela goes back to the mythological story of the Sagar Manthan or 'Churning of the Ocean'. Legend has it that once all the devtas, or demigods were under a curse that made them weak in body and mind. They were advised by Brahma (Creator in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) to drink amrit, or the elixir of life. But amrit could only be obtained by the churning of the ocean, which, needless to add, was no mean feat. Now the question arose as to how to go about churning the gargantuan ocean. Lord Vishnu (the Hindu Preserver of the Universe) came up with a solution saying that Mount Meru could act as the churning stick, while Vasuki (the mythical serpent) could be used as the coil around Meru. Pleased with the suggestion, the devtas went to the asuras, or demons and sought their help in accomplishing the formidable task. The devtas’ promise to share the amrit with the asuras tricked the latter into consenting to tug Vasuki from one end.
Thus ensued a phenomenal churning that, however, threatened to destroy the three worlds (Heaven, Earth and Hell). The gods simply could not let that happen, so Vishnu appeared in the guise of a giant tortoise or Kurma (Vishnu's second incarnation) and stabilised the churning by acting as a base under Mount Meru. It is said that eventually, spectacular treasures emerged from the great ocean including Laksmi the Goddess of Prosperity and Wealth, Sura the Goddess of Wine, Chandra, or the moon, Apsaras, the celestial nymphs, Kaustabha, the precious gem of Vishnu, Uchchaishravas, the divine horse, Parijata, the wishing coral tree, Kamdhenu, the wish-fulfilling Divine Cow, Airavata, the four-tusked white elephant, Panchajanya, or the conch, Sharanga, the invincible bow, and Dhanvantri, Nimi and Bharadwaj - the physicians and surgeons.
Then appeared Halahala, the deadly poison, that had to be extracted before it could spell doom across the universe, and finally emerged the Amrit Kumbh, or pitcher of amrit. The mighty Shiva (the Destroyer of the Universe) stepped in to consume the poison as he was the only one who had the capacity to contain Halahala. Shiva drank the poison but kept it in his neck, perhaps to prevent the poison from entering his stomach. Ever since, he has been nicknamed Neelkantha or the blackneck. Meanwhile, in order to prevent the asuras from consuming the amrit, the devtas took the priceless pot and fled, with the asuras trailing behind in pursuit. Eventually the asuras caught up with the devtas who, in turn, decided to take on the asuras. It is believed that in all this melee, a few drops of amrit fell from the pot on spots that are the present-day towns of Nasik, Ujjain, Haridwar and Allahabad, rendering indestructible and sacred for all times to come.
The most auspicious day for the holy dip is the day of the revered saint Amavasya, when the banks of the Sangam are flooded with devotees to as far as the eyes can behold. Other sacred days marked by celebrations are Makar Sankranti, Magi Poornima, Paush Poornima, Basant Panchmi, and Maha Shivratri. (Hindus consider the period when the sun enters the zodiac known as Makar or Capricorn as most auspicious and beneficial, and rejoice and pray on the day of Makar Sankranti. Paush Poornima celebrates the first harvest, while Basant Panchmi marks the onset of spring at the end of harsh winters, and is celebrated with the worship of Saraswati the Goddess of Learning. Maha Shivratri is a festival that commemorates Shiva's marriage with Parvati his consort ........More
