Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimages of faith in which
Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river. It is the world's largest religious
gathering. It is held every third year at one of the four places by rotation:
Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayag), Nasik and Ujjain. Thus the Kumbh Mela is held at
each of these four places every twelfth year. Ardh ("Half") Kumbh
Mela is held at only two places, Hardwar and Allahabad, every sixth year. The
rivers at these four places are: the Ganges (Ganga) at Haridwar, the confluence
(Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad,
the Godawari at Nasik, and the Shipra at Ujjain.
Kumb Mela at Nashik :
Kumbh Mela is celebrated at Trimbakeshwar in Nashik which is in Maharashtra. Trimbakeshwar is a holy town of Nasik as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Triyambakeshwar Jyotirlinga temple is situated there. Kumbh Mela in Nasik is celebrated once in every twelve years and is known as Sinhasta.
Legends :
According to mythological stories and verses of epics the drops of Amrita or nectar fell at the Godavari River in Nasik when Lord Vishnu flew from earth to heaven after Samudra Manthan. That is the reason why the place is considered sacred and is of great importance amongst Hindus.
The two bathing ghats, Ramkund and Kushavarta holy reservoirs appreciate faith and belief of thousands of sadhus, holy men and millions of pilgrims as they take dips in holy River Godavari on the specific date and at specific time.
Rituals Performed at the Kumbh Mela :
The main ritual performed at that Kumbh Mela is the ritual
bath. Hindus believe that submerging themselves in the sacred waters on the
most auspicious day of the new moon will absolve them and their ancestors of
sin, thus ending the cycle of rebirth. Pilgrims start lining up to bathe from
around 3 a.m. on this day.
As the sun comes up, the different groups of sadhus move in
procession towards the river to bathe. The Nagas usually lead, while each group
tries to outdo the others with more grandeur and fanfare. The moment is
magical, and everyone is absorbed in it.
After bathing, the pilgrims wear fresh clothes and proceed to
worship by the river bank. They then walk around listening to discourses from
the various sadhus.
Significance of Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is not just a mere festivity like Diwali and Holi,
but holds lot of importance for people in India. People look up to Kumbh Mela
with highest regard, as this event gives them a golden opportunity to liberate
themselves from the miseries and sufferings of life. It enables them to take a
holy dip in the sacred water and wash away all the sins they have committed in
the past. People come from different parts of the country to be a part of this
sacred ceremony. It is believed that taking a holy dip in water paves way for
attainment of Moksha.
Rig Veda has a mention about the significance of convergence
of river Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati at Prayag or Sangam.
References can be found about the significance of this ritual
in Varaha Purana and Matsya Purana as well. There is a belief that the ashram
of the learned Bharadvaja, where Lord Ram, Laxman and Sita lived at the time of
their exile, was situated at Sangam. It is said that a number of saints
including the great Shankaracharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Sangam and
observed the Kumbh Mela. The great Indian epics such the Ramayana and
Mahabharata have mentioned that a yagna was conducted by Lord Brahma at Sangam.
Important Dates 2015 :
- 14th July 2015 (Tuesday): Flag hoisting of the main
ceremony at Ram Kunda
- 14th August 2015 (Friday): Flag hoisting of the Akhara
at Sadhugram
- 26th August 2015 (Wednesday): Shravan Shudha- First Snan
- 29th August 2015 (Saturday): Shravan Purnima - First
Shahi Snan at Ram Kunda
- 13th September 2015 (Sunday): Bhadrapad Amavasya -
Second Shahi Snan/ Main bathing day
- 18th September 2015 (Friday): Bhadrapad Shukla Panchmi
(Rushipanchami) - Third Shahi Snan
- 25th September 2015 (Friday): Bhadrapad Shukla Dwadashi
- Vaman Dwadashi Snan
No comments:
Post a Comment