Over 3 crore wash their sins in Sangam on Sunday
11 Feb 2013 1:30 AM GMT
As the multitude of people swarm Allahabad to take a dip in Ganga to clean their sins on Sunday, the World’s largest religious festival has witnessed a mix of modernity with tradition where ash smeared sadhus rub shoulders with technology savvy saints.
The Kumbh Mela that falls after 12 years is expected to see more than 10 crore people taking bath to cleanse their sins in almost 55 day long festival that began from January 14. It is believed that holy dip in this occasion would free a person from the cycle of death and birth.
The most auspicious of these bathing days was on Sunday when 3 crore people took a dip at Sangam – the point where three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati meet. There are six auspicious days, depending on alignment of stars, where Hindu devout would take a dip wash away their sins in the frigid water of the river.
‘It was third Shahi Snan (Royal bathing day) in which sadhus took a dip in the river in a big procession. It was a big show where bathing started simultaneously in 11 bathing ghats,’ Divesh Chaturvedi, a senior Government official told reporters here in Sunday.
The Royal Bathing Day, one of the most important events of Kumbh Mela, witnessed naked Naga Sadhus and Holy men of different sects marching in a big procession towards the river and then taking a dip at auspicious time amid chanting of hymns and shlokas. Some of these sadhus would come riding horses and chariots.
The tradition of the majestic Kumbh mela overlapped with moderniy where saints did not hesitate to flaunt their electronic contraptions. Sitting on the bonnet of his SUV Maharaj Nirupanand, in his early 40s, is busy downloading pictures of Kumbh Mela in the laptop. ‘You cannot miss the atmosphere of Kumbh. These are really my prized possession,’ the Maharaj said showing his laptop and canon camera as a group of his followers standing around him nod in approval.
The Kumbh Mela that falls after 12 years is expected to see more than 10 crore people taking bath to cleanse their sins in almost 55 day long festival that began from January 14. It is believed that holy dip in this occasion would free a person from the cycle of death and birth.
The most auspicious of these bathing days was on Sunday when 3 crore people took a dip at Sangam – the point where three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati meet. There are six auspicious days, depending on alignment of stars, where Hindu devout would take a dip wash away their sins in the frigid water of the river.
‘It was third Shahi Snan (Royal bathing day) in which sadhus took a dip in the river in a big procession. It was a big show where bathing started simultaneously in 11 bathing ghats,’ Divesh Chaturvedi, a senior Government official told reporters here in Sunday.
The Royal Bathing Day, one of the most important events of Kumbh Mela, witnessed naked Naga Sadhus and Holy men of different sects marching in a big procession towards the river and then taking a dip at auspicious time amid chanting of hymns and shlokas. Some of these sadhus would come riding horses and chariots.
The tradition of the majestic Kumbh mela overlapped with moderniy where saints did not hesitate to flaunt their electronic contraptions. Sitting on the bonnet of his SUV Maharaj Nirupanand, in his early 40s, is busy downloading pictures of Kumbh Mela in the laptop. ‘You cannot miss the atmosphere of Kumbh. These are really my prized possession,’ the Maharaj said showing his laptop and canon camera as a group of his followers standing around him nod in approval.
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