Mahakumbh

The biggest religious ceremony in the world, known as “Maha Kumbh Mela” (Great Festival of Urn), will take place in the northern Indian town of Haridwar on the banks of river Ganges. Here, millions of people will have their ritual cleansing bath on eleven auspicious days from the beginning of January up to the end of April

Haridwar & Mahakumbh

Haridwar is situated close to the spurs of the Shivaliks, the lowest range of the Himalayas and is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to the Indians. The Holy river Ganga (Ganges) transverse the Himalayas to enter the Plains of North India for the first time at Haridwar and this is what gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwara (the place where the Ganges descends to the plains). Haridwar means “Gate of God’s Land” and the link to paradise is established by the holy River Ganges.

Kumbh Mela derives its name from the immortal - Pot of Nectar - described in ancient Vedic scriptures known as the Puranas. Kumbh in Sanskrit language means 'pot or pitcher’. Mela means 'festival'. Thus Kumbh Mela literally means festival of the pot or a festival celebrating the appearance of the pot of nectar. During the festival, Hindus consider Hardwar as India’s religious capital and more than ten million people would dip into the Ganga, in order to purify body, mind and soul and wash off their sins. On the eve of such a bathing day, the town vibrates in hectic religious fever and the centre stage of the Maha Kumbh Mela is occupied by the sadhus who belong to dozens of Hindu sects.

History -The ancient origin of the Kumbh Mela is described in the time-honored Vedic literatures of India as having evolved from the bygone days of the universe when the demigods and the demons conjointly produced the nectar of immortality. For the task of churning the milk ocean, the Mandara Mountain was used as the churning rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the rope for churning. As the churning began, the Mandara Mountain began to sink deep into the ocean, at which time Vishnu incarnated as a great tortoise and supported the mountain on His back. With the demigods at Vasuki’s tail and the demons at his head, they churned the milk ocean for one thousand years. The churning of the milk ocean first produced a deadly poison which Shiva drank without being affected. Thereafter, a cow named Surabhi appeared who coul d yield unlimited quantities of milk. A white horse named Uccaihsrava was then appeared, as well as a white elephant named Airavata. Then a valuable gem called the Kaustubha-mani appeared. At last a male person named Dhanvantari appeared carrying the pot of immortal nectar in His hands. The demigods, being fearful of what would happen if the demons drank their share of the nectar of immortality, forcibly seized the pot. In an endeavor to keep the nectar from falling into the hands of the demons, the demigods hid it in four places on the earth, Prayag (Allahabad), Hardwar, Ujjain, and Nasik. At each of the hiding places, a drop of immortal nectar spilled from the pot and landed on the earth and since then, these four places are believed to have acquired a mystical power. During the festival, Hindus consider Hardwar as India’s religious capital and more than ten million people would dip into the Ganga, in order to purify body, mind and soul and wash off their sins. On the ev e of such a bathing day, the town vibrates in hectic religious fever and the centre stage of the Maha Kumbh Mela is occupied by the sadhus who belong to dozens of Hindu sects.

Akhara: As per the Vedic concept of life, the usual life span of a person was divided into four distinct periods or ‘ashrams’, Brahmacharya or study period, Grihastha or normal life period, Vanprastha or withdrawal period and Sanyasa or renunciation period. As this system fell into disuse and the concept of Mathas gained prominence and became important centers to propagate the ethical behavior and to protect the Vedic concept of life. The Sanyasis of the various Mathas were divided into various categories governing the various aspects of Vedic life. The Naga Akhara Movement was founded in the 8thcentury by Adi Shankaracharya when he established a group of militant initiated followers whose task was to protect pilgrims and sadhus from robbers and other enemies, later called the Nagas. For them the Maha Kumbh M ela is of great significance, because they are the first ones to take the holy dip in the Ganga on the most auspicious day during the shahi snan, the “royal bath”, which marks the climax of the festival as they are the privileged people who are said to cleanse the river goddess. These processions are meticulously organized formations where thousands of Naga Sadhus having matted hair, ash smeared body, naked and totally unmindful and unconcerned of the public gaze, stride towards the Ganges in a zeal of religious fervour.

The bathing sequence of the various Akharas is absolutely sacrosanct and no alteration is possible as the exact time for start, bathing and return are prescribed under the provisions of section 39 of the Indian Police Act. The Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad, the apex body of all the sadhus, mahants and mandleshwars of different Akharas & Sampradyas, decides the dates of the Shahi snans for the Kumbhand conveys the same to the Kumbh Mela administration. One of the main events of the Kumbh Mela is the holy dip in river Ganga (Ganges) on auspicious days to wash away ones sins leading to the liberation from the circle of life & death. The main bathing dates at the Haridwar Kumbh are:

January 14, 2010 (Thursday) Makar Sankranti Snan First Snan (bath)
January 15, 2010 (Friday) Mauni Amavasya and Surya Grahan (Solar Eclipse) Second Snan (bath)
January 20, 2010 (Wednesday) Basant Panchmi Snan Third Snan (bath)
January 30, 2010 (Saturday) Magh Purnima Snan Fourth Snan (bath)
February 12, 2010 (Friday) Maha Shivratri ratham Shahi Snan (First Royal Bath)
March 15, 2010 (Monday) Somvati Amavasya Dvitya Shahi Snan (Second Royal Bath)
March 16, (Tuesday) Nvasamvatsar Snan Fifth Snan (bath)
March 24, 2010 (Wednesday) Rama Navami Sixth Snan (bath)
March 30, 2010 (Tuesday) Chaitra Purnima/Vasishnav Akhara Snan seventh Snan (bath)
April 14, 2010 (Wednesday) Baisakhi Pramukh Shahi Sanan (Main Royal Bath)
April 28, 2010 (Wednesday) Vaishakh Adimasaha Purnima Snan for the Vairagis/Bairagis (Fourth Royal Bath)

The Kumbh Mela ("great festival of the pot of nectar of immortality") is held every three years in each of four different locations, returning to each of four places every twelve years. An Ardh (half) Mela (festival) takes place six years after the Kumbh in each location. After visiting the Kumbh Mela of 1895, Mark Twain wrote

"It is wonderful, the power of a faith like that, that can make multitudes upon multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without repining. It is done in love, or it is done in fear; I do not know which it is. No matter what the impulse is, the act born of it is beyond imagination, marvelous to our kind of people, the cold whites"

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