Mahakumbh is a maha parv ( grand festival)

Mahakumbh at the holy congluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj is attracting world wide attention. This is Mahakumbh, happening after a span of 12 years, but all the more special due to a unique celestial configuration of Sun, Moon and Jupiter that happens once in 144 years or 12 cycles of Jupiter, as Jupiter takes approximately 12 years to complete one revolution around the Sun. Between the start of fair and its conclusion on 26th February, more than 40 crore people are expected to take a holy dip and the list includes celebrities such as Anupam Kher, Gautam Adani, Sudha Murthy and Laurene Powell, wife of the late Steve Jobs.

The word Kumbh is derived from Sanskrit Kumbha or vessel( Amrit Kalash) that contained the nectar of eternity ( Amrit) derived out of churning of ocean ( Amrit Manthan). As the story goes, in their struggle to possess this Kalash between gods and demons, a few drops got spilled over in four places- Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain and Nashik and hence Kumbh mela is celebrated at these four locations every three years with Mahakumbh happening every 12 years.

It’s a matter of faith that holy dip during the Mahakumbh helps an individual wash away all his/her sins, though this fact does not give a license to any individual to commit sins in first place! More than it, it’s the size of gathering, profound faith, elaborate arrangements, efficient crowd management and the sheer scale of the event that lend an aura of grandeur to the event. Presence of sadhus from various akhadas ( orders), more particularly enigmatic Naga Sadhus, impart a sense of deep spirituality to the event.

It may be the holiest of the acts to believers to take a dip or a mere grand event to the sceptical, the undisputed fact remains that Mahakumbh celebrates one of the largest gathering of humanity in all its magnificence that has not only survived, but flourished over the centuries.

Kudos to all – the administration for superb management, the believers for braving the bitter cold and unprecedented rush to take a holy dip in the confluence of three rivers ( Triveni) and to us, all the Indians, for being born in the country that boasts of such a unique culture.