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Kumbh Mela – India’s ancient festival which has the distinction of being the largest human gathering on earth was inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage List in 2017. It is held by rotation in 4 timeless cities of Bharat which are situated on the banks of holy rivers that have sustained them for millennia. The mokshdayini (मोक्षदायिनी – the One who liberates) Ganga at Haridwar; Triveni Sangam or the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati at Prayag; Kshipra at Ujjain or ancient Avanti and Godavari or Dakshin Ganga at Nasik are the focal points of these sacred celebrations of India’s sanatan dharma, her spirituality, her plural culture and her soul which is focused on the welfare of one and all.
When and how did Kumbh Melas begin?
The origin and history of Kumbh Mela has been discussed widely and researched endlessly. The word Kumbha (कुम्भ) means a pot and is found in the Vedic Samhitas in this context. While some scholars have unconvincingly linked the antiquity of the Melas to Vedic verses, versions of the great story of the Samudra Manthan found in the Itihaas-Purana tradition are more often told to explain the ahistorical origin of the ageless Kumbha Mela.
Long, long ago, the devatas and asuras churned the ocean for amrit or the divine nectar that would make them immortal. Halahal or the deadly poison and innumerable ratnas emerged from the ocean. The churning continued till finally, Dhanvantari, the divine physician emerged with a kumbha of amrita. As expected, the devatas and asuras started arguing over the divine elixir. It is said that when they were fighting, drops of amrit fell over 4 places on earth – Haridwar, Prayaga, Ujjain and Nasik (also spelt Nashik). And hence even today, these divine teerthas host the Kumbha Melas and devotees take a dip in the holy waters which were once admixed with amrit.
Beyond the narratives, some historians have unconvincingly commented that the assembly organised by Raja Harshawardhana at Prayag in the month of Magh during 643 CE which was attended by the Chinese scholar Xuanzang could be a reference to the Kumbh Mela. Tradition also inconclusively credits Adi Shankracharya for organising the Kumbha Mela at Prayag. Based on textual evidence, some preeminent scholars have concluded that the crystallisation of the grand celebrations can be placed somewhere after the 12th century CE and that the Kumbha Mela at Haridwar seems to have earlier antiquity than the Kumbha Mela at Prayagraj. Notwithstanding the seemingly late medieval dates, it should be noted that the Kumbha Mela as we know it today represents a kaleidoscopic syncreticism of manifold kathas, symbols and rituals of yore.
“There has been, from time immemorial, a mela at the confluence of the Ganges with its largest tributary, the Jamuna here in Allahabad…During the whole lunar month, which the Hindus call Magh……but whenever the Sun happens to leave the sign ‘waterpot’ within the month it is a far larger affair than usually. This happens once in every ten or twelve years, I hear; and then the mela is called “Kumbha Mela”. Kumbha being the Sanskrit for a waterpot. This year happens to be one of these occasional ones.”
– Reverend William Hopper in his essay titled ‘The Kumbha Mela at Allahabad’ dated 22-01-1882
When and where are Kumbh Melas held?
The extant traditions of determining the place, date and time of the Kumbha Melas are based on astronomical conjunctions of Jupiter or Brihaspati, the Sun and the Moon. They have been popularly though not incontrovertibly traced to the Skanda Purana. In general, but with a number of well-documented exceptions given the complex interplay of astrological belief systems, Purna Kumbha Melas are held after every 12 years at Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik by rotation. In addition, Haridwar and Prayag host the Ardha Kumbha every six years. Prayag hosts the Mahakumbha once in 144 years when a cycle of 12 Purna Kumbhas is concluded.
Who are the ascetics who visit Kumbh Melas?
The timeless Kumbha melas perhaps also witness the greatest congregations of innumerable sadhus and sadhvis, sants and sanyasis who are otherwise engrossed in their quest for unison with the parabrahma. The melas are inextricably linked to the 13 recognised Akharas (अखाड़ा) which are time honoured orders of sadhus and sanyasis who are equipped not only with spiritual faculties but also with weapons and arms. There are 7 Shaiva akharas, 3 Vaishanava Akharas, 2 Udasin Akharas and 1 Sikh Akhara. While historically, there have been a few documented struggles among these Akharas at Kumbha melas, they have collectively played an important role in preserving India’s heritage and the sanatan dharma. One of the highlights of the Kumbha melas are the magnificent and awe-inspiring processions of the Akharas also referred to as Peshvaais (पेशवाई) where devotees get a chance to witness their grandeur. As one beholds the ascetics who are engaged in austerities that are beyond the wherewithal of lay human beings, one cannot but be filled with reverence and spirituality.
What are the rituals associated with Kumbh Melas?
Snana or ritual bathing, daana or giving and tapa or austerities are synonymous with Kumbha Melas in specific and with pilgrimages in general. Shahi snanas (शाही स्नान) on auspicious days have untold ritual significance especially for the akharas. Daana is the cornerstone of sanatan sanskriti (सनातन संस्कृति) and the mere act of giving makes us one with the universe. No pilgrimage is complete without austerities that purify the atma and the body and look beyond the ordinary. The puranic tradition lays down the elements of tapa and one of the most important forms is the Kalpavasa (कल्पवास). The Kalpavasis (कल्पवसी) live on the banks of the holy waters and observe rigorous austerities including abstinence from sensual pleasure for extended periods of time, mostly a month.
What is the significance of Kumbh Melas?
No other festival celebrates the flow of water and life and breaks down all boundaries like the Kumbha melas do. They are India’s national festivals which celebrate our essential unity with nature, our fellow citizens and all of humanity. They are our link to the past and the future and their temporality is a stark reminder of the unchangeable temporality of life itself. Taking a dip in the holy waters is not merely a physical act. It is infinitely symbolic and exhorts us to look for the immortal atma or amrit tattva within our body which itself is a kumbha (the human body is akin to a pot in the Hindu tradition) and cleanse it with karma and tapa.
And before we go, a word about these waters. Since times immemorial Hindus have believed that Water is Life. If the holiness of our waters is breached, life cannot be sustained. It is incumbent upon the devout to embark on teertha yatras while being cognisant of the footprints of their yatras on the elements that sustain them.
Set out on the teertha yatra if you can and will but be mindful of the path and the goal.
ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ||
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