Friday, January 10, 2025
Islamabad (UrduPoint News International/ Pakistan Point News - 10th January, 2025 ) Devotees from all over India and other parts of the world are arriving to participate in this festival. Many of them will come in religious processions as well as on elephants, horses and chariots and perform various rituals.
This religious festival is held every twelve years on the banks of the Ganges River in Prayagraj in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
This year, the Kumbh Mela will continue from January 13 to February 26.
Muslims banned from participating in the historic Kumbh Mela
Prayagraj is the old name of Allahabad, which was changed by the government led by the Hindu nationalist party BJP.
Organizers say that the massive preparations made for the Kumbh Mela are tantamount to building a country.
Extensive preparations
Thousands of community kitchens have been set up for the festival, each capable of feeding 50,000 people at a time, while around 150,000 toilets have also been built.
The previous festival in Prayag, the 'Ardh' or half Kumbh Mela, was held in 2019, which the government says was attended by 240 million pilgrims.
Kumbh Mela: Millions of Hindu pilgrims bathe at the confluence of three rivers
This year, authorities are expecting up to 400 million participants, more than the combined population of the United States and Canada.
Festival authorities and police have set up a network of 'lost and found' centres, as well as a special Kumbh phone application, to help reunite pilgrims lost at the festival with their families.
Festival rituals
The most important part of the festival rituals is the immersion in the river. Hindus believe that those who bathe in the Ganges are cleansed of all sins, freed from the cycle of rebirth, and ultimately attain moksha or salvation.
For ordinary Hindus, the ritual of bathing or bathing in the river begins early in the morning after the Naga Sadhus take a dip.
Naga Sadhus remain naked and apply ashes on their bodies.
Many devotees, after bathing in the Ganges, take a vow of simplicity, leading a life of celibacy and focusing on worship and meditation.
Significance of the Kumbh Mela among Hindus
The Kumbh Mela is held at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the legendary Saraswati rivers.
Literally, Kumbh means pitcher.
The festival has its roots in Hindu mythology. There was a fight between the gods and the demons to get this Kumbh or pitcher, which contained the nectar, the drink that gives eternal life to the drinker.
This pitcher full of nectar was obtained after the 'Chirping of the Ocean' on the celestial level. The gods ran away with it, the demons chased them.
During this time, before reaching Prayag, its drops fell in Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar on the way, where the small Kumbh Mela is held every six years, while it took twelve days to reach Prayag. Therefore, symbolically, the 'Pran Kumbh' or the big Kumbh Mela is held here every twelve years.
Hindu religious leaders say that this mythical battle is mentioned in the sacred religious book 'Rig Veda'.
One of the earliest historical references to the Kumbh Mela is found in the writings of the Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar Hiuen Tsang, who attended the fair in the seventh century.
What will happen during the festival?
The most important ritual during the month-long festival is bathing in the Ganges.
Bathing takes place every day, but on the most auspicious dates, the bath is called Shahi Ashnan or ‘Royal Bath’.
The celebrations include a grand ‘Aarti’, when a large number of priests perform rituals holding flickering lamps.
Devotees also float in the sea with glowing diyas. These diyas are made from cooked flour and are lit with a lamp of mustard oil or ghee.
Important dates include January 13, which is the full moon day or Poorn Mashi.
One of the most auspicious days is January 29 or Muni Amavasya. Amavasya is the last day of the lunar month in which the moon is not visible.
The festival celebrations will conclude on February 26.
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