The Spiritual Quest For Liberation
July 25, 2008
Kumbh Mela is a spiritual event that occurs four times every twelve years in four diffferent locations: Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. After twelve years there is a Maha Kumbha Mela that takes plce in Prayag, which is attended by millions of people, making it the largest spiritual gathering in the world.
The story of the origin of this event goes as follows: Millions of years ago, in the Vedic period, demigods and demons made an agreement to work together churning amrita (the nectar of immortality) from the ocean of milk, and to share the nectar among themselves. However, when the Kumbh (urn) containing the nectar appeared, the demons ran away with it and were thus chased by the demigods. For twelve days and twelve nights the demigods and demons fought for possession of this pot of nectar. During the battle, drops of amrita fell at four places: Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. Therefore, the Kumbha Mela is celebrated at these four locations where the nectar fell.
Kumbha Mela is attended by millions of people in just one day. The main event of this festival is a ritual bath at the banks of the rivers in the town where the Mela is held. Other activities include philosophical discussions, narration of pastimes, singing of songs glorifying God and massive food distribution. Kumbh Mela is considered the most sacred of all the pilgrimages. Thousands of holy men and women attend, and that is one of the reasons that make the festival auspicious. The sadhus are seen clad in saffron sheets with plenty of colored powder for ornamental purpose in the body. Some called nagna sanyasis may often be seen naked even in severe winter, generally considered to live an extreme lifestyle of austerity.
At the proper time according to astrological calculations, the holy personalities will enter the water to have bath. Following the bathing of the holy people, millions of pilgrims follow in their wake and enter the river. For a devout Hindu, to bathe at the Kumbha Mela sites at this auspicious time is considered an immesurable spiritual gain.
Furthermore, it is important to note that many Hindus consider the Kumbha Mela sites to be the most favored places at which to die. They say that there is some energy, some mysterious spirit or power, manifest at these places and times that somehow allows or assists devoted human beings in attaining immortality. The fact that hundreds of millions of people have for millions of years believed this to be true suggests that a powerful spiritual energy is indeed present at the Kumbha Mela sites at these particular times.
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