It is believed that these drops gave mystical powers to these places. Bathing in the holy waters of Ganga is believed to be most auspicious at the time of Kumbh Mela. Legend has it that in the mythological times, during a waging war between the demigods and demons for the possession of elixir of eternal life or the Amrit, a few drops of it had fallen on to four places that are today known as Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik. River Ganga is one of the most special rivers as it is believed to come directly from the ocean of milk by washing the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. Rivers are deified as mothers as they are a source for human existence. Kumbh Mela is the continuation of that age old tradition of faith and hope.īefore I go further, I think I should tell you the story behind Kumbh Mela. In Vedic culture, every river is personified as a deity and the water stream is interpreted as the material manifestation of that personality. India being a predominantly Hindu nation, has deep roots in spirituality that goes back to tens of thousands of years. The whole atmosphere smelled of incense and was sanctified by the omnipresent chanting of vedic hymns that reminded us about the spiritual oneness. These camps had religious sermons, food distribution and plays, songs etc. The whole banks was divided into sectors and each sectors had a camp of a saint or Yogi. No pun intended, but considering the sanitary and cleanliness standards in India, this was something worth appreciating. It is also believed that the mythical underground river Saraswati also meets Ganga and Yamuna at this point from under the ground.Īs we waded through the temporary city built up on the banks of Ganges, we were surprised at the ingenuity of the engineers and the cleanliness of the place.
The Trivenisangamam or the Sangam is the most sacred location in Allahabad, as it it were the mighty rivers Ganges and Yamuna join into each other. The whole Mela village is created in tens of square kilometers of area on the banks of the river Ganges. The crowd was much less, and it allowed us easy access to almost whole of the Mela village.
Having chosen one the least crowded day of the, we found that our research payed off. The view outside my window flashed a plethora of beautiful agricultural fields engrossed in the morning fog, giving it a mystifying demeanor. Well, you do know about the exceptional time-keeping record of the great Indian Railways. Though it was supposed to be a 2.5 hours ride, the train took close to 4 hours. Since we arrived pretty early, we got ourselves a comfortable seat in the second seater compartment. So on the 3rd day of February, me and my friend Anantha Krishnan set out from IIT Kanpur at 5 am in the morning and caught the 6.30 am Allahabad Intercity Express from Kanpur Central Railway station. It would have been injustice to the traveler in me had I failed to visit this unbelievable representation of faith, as Allahabad was just 280 kms from Kanpur.
Allahabad maha kumbh mela free#
The mythological history of India and the sacred religious texts that bind the carnal souls to an eternal hope of being freed from the vicious earthly cycle of life and death and move towards a heavenly realm, which knows no suffering or pain. “An eternal life free of sins” is the promise of Maha Kumbh Mela and is what strength behind its enormous following. Maha Kumbh Mela – The largest human gathering on the planet, an auspicious ceremony that takes place once in 12 years is an example of the power of faith in religion.