Maha Kumbh Festival
The Kumbh Mela, or fair is rumoured to
be one of the largest congregation of sages, yogis, ascetics,
mendicants, men, women and children on the planet.
 ¤
The Holy City of Allahabad
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.
¤ The Origin of Kumbh Mela
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.
¤ Auspicious Day For The Holy Dip
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).
¤ The Occurance of Last Kumbh Mela
The last Kumbh Mela took place in Haridwar in 1998, while the
previous Kumbh Mela at Allahabad (Prayag) was held in 1989. The latter
was recorded as the largest assembly of people in the history of
mankind drawing over 35 million people. Without doubt the Mahakumbh is
an event of epic proportions. Saffron-clad, ash-smeared yogis raise
their hands towards the heavens as the age-old and omnipresent hum of
mantras, or sacred verses, chants and hymns, the din of prayer bells
and cymbals, and the symbolic blowing of conches make for a befitting
orchestra. A celebration of the esoteric and the popular, the
Mahakumbh that brings the countries spiritual dimension to the fore,
is a rush, and could lay siege to one's senses.
¤ Ardh Kumbh Mela
The Mahakumbh is interspersed with the Ardh Kumbh Mela that takes
place once in six years, whereas the Magh Mela is held annually in the
Hindu month of Magh, around January or February on the banks of the
Sangam except during the years of the Kumbh Mela and the Ardh Kumbh
Mela.
During the period of the Kumbh Mela, a tent city comes up for over a
month to provide shelter to thousands of devotees. Several Hindu
religious organisations set up camps during this period. Folk theatre
groups enact different stories and scenes from Hindu religious texts
in different patches of the mela grounds. This period of retreat is
called Kalpavas, and those who submit to its exigencies are known as
Kalpvasees. All these holy fairs commemorate the struggle between the
gods and demons over the kumbh of the elixir of life, and draw
innumerable crowds in quest of the definitive cleansing of the soul
before entering the realm of god. |
