Kumbh Darshan

As the car approached Haridwar, the presence of Sadhus and pilgrims as well as security personnel became more visible, making me much anxious to witness the Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest religious congregation on earth. Although my visiting day was not a special bathing (snan) date, huge gathering of devotees were there on several snan ghats. Har Ki Pauri, the main ghat was packed with men & women of all ages and sects, as if all were lost in the race of attaining Moksha or salvation.

Hindu devotees believe that taking a dip in the holy river of Ganga washes away their sins and frees them from the cycle of life and rebirth. As the main bathing dates were gone, we couldn’t find large numbers of ash smearing and half naked Naga Sadhus on the river bank practising Sadhna. However hundreds of saffron clad devotees as well as beggars dressed like sadhus were visible among the huge gatherings adding more aesthetic glamour to visitor’s eyes.

There are many interesting mythological stories about the origin of Kumbh Mela. During a fight between gods and demons over a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality, when the pitcher was being knocked, out of which nectar fell down at four places on the earth, namely, Allahabad, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain. According to other Puranic legends, Amrit Kalash was being put at these 4 places when gods were chased by demons for nectar of immortality. So to commemorate this holy event of the Amrita Kalasha, Kumbh mela is celebrated at these four places alternatively in every three years and a Maha Kumbh Mela in 12 years interval.

It is believed that bathing during Kumbh cures the bather of all sins and evils and grants the bather, salvation or moskh. It is also believed that at the time of Kumbh Yog, the water of Ganga is charged with positive healing effects and that water at the time of Kumbh is charged positively by enhanced electromagnetic radiations of the Sun, Moon and the Jupiter, the flux of which also varies in accordance to positions and the phases of the moon, and also by the + and - signs of the sun spots.

While looking forward to meet Naga Sadhus, we stopped by a make shift Ashram near Mayadevi Mandir. A young English speaking baba chatted with us about his life philosophy and importance of kumbh mela. He said that it is a congregation of holy people for the betterment of human being. When asked, what are the elements required for making of a baba, he said, Sadhna or rigorous practice with self discipline dedication are essential.

My Kumbha darshan culminated with the Ganga Arti offer, where thousands and thousands of pilgrims participated by taking dip and floating holy lamps on the river.

River worshipping is not seen anywhere in the world. We respectfully pray our offerings to mother Ganga, but it is an irony that we never mind to pollute it recklessly. If Ganga will be free of dirt due to a religious congregation then no one in the world can stop kumbh mela to get a Nobel Peace Prize.