Millions take holy dip in Ganga on Makar Sankranti
15 Jan 2013 7:12 AM IST
Millions of Hindu devout, led by naked ash-smeared Naga Sadhus, plunged into the frigid waters of holy Ganges River to wash away their sins as the climax of the 55-day religious festival that underwent in Allahabad on Monday.
Monday is considered the most auspicious day of the Kumbh Mela, as on this day planet Jupiter enters Aquarius and Sun enters Aries. Today is also the first royal bathing day or Shahi Snan.
‘We are expecting over 11 million people on Monday who will take a dip in river. Almost 30 lakh people have already taken a dip and the number may grow by evening,’ Mani Prasad Mishra, in-charge of Kumbh Mela, said.
Over 110 million people are expected to take a dip at Sangam – the confluence of three rivers – holy Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati – to cleanse their sins. There are six auspicious days, depending on alignment of stars, where Hindu devout would take a dip in the holy river to wash away their sins.
Hindus believe taking a dip at the Ganges during this period may absolve them of sin and end a cycle of reincarnation.
It was the sea of humanity that had descended on the river bed of Ganges – some had taken bath while others waiting patiently for their turn. Men in their underpants, women in their sarees and children, some of them naked, took plunge into the ice-cold water to cleanse their body and soul of sin.
The star attraction of Monday’s Shahi snan was the Naga Sadhus. Thousands of them just wearing marigold garlands raced to the river in a cacophony of their religious chants. Applause rose from tens of thousands of pilgrims waiting behind barricades as religious heads of different Hindu monasteries reached the bathing points, called ghats, riding silver chariot. Some were even carried on silver palanquins. Marching bands accompanied them as they initiated the Royal bathing process.
The head of the Monasteries, called Akharas, threw flowers on the Hindu devotees as they shouted Har Har Gange (Long live Ganges).
‘Sadhus of Mahanirvani akhara took the lead in taking a dip in Ganga. The procession was led by young naked sadhus who even displayed their marshal art,’ Mishra said.
According to Hindu mythology, the Kumbh Mela celebrates the victory of gods over demons in a furious battle over nectar that would give immortality. The myth says the gods retrieved the nectar by churning a massive ocean of milk As one of the gods fled with the pitcher of nectar across the skies, it spilled on four places – Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar – where Kumbh mela is organized four times every 12 years.
Monday is considered the most auspicious day of the Kumbh Mela, as on this day planet Jupiter enters Aquarius and Sun enters Aries. Today is also the first royal bathing day or Shahi Snan.
‘We are expecting over 11 million people on Monday who will take a dip in river. Almost 30 lakh people have already taken a dip and the number may grow by evening,’ Mani Prasad Mishra, in-charge of Kumbh Mela, said.
Over 110 million people are expected to take a dip at Sangam – the confluence of three rivers – holy Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati – to cleanse their sins. There are six auspicious days, depending on alignment of stars, where Hindu devout would take a dip in the holy river to wash away their sins.
Hindus believe taking a dip at the Ganges during this period may absolve them of sin and end a cycle of reincarnation.
It was the sea of humanity that had descended on the river bed of Ganges – some had taken bath while others waiting patiently for their turn. Men in their underpants, women in their sarees and children, some of them naked, took plunge into the ice-cold water to cleanse their body and soul of sin.
The star attraction of Monday’s Shahi snan was the Naga Sadhus. Thousands of them just wearing marigold garlands raced to the river in a cacophony of their religious chants. Applause rose from tens of thousands of pilgrims waiting behind barricades as religious heads of different Hindu monasteries reached the bathing points, called ghats, riding silver chariot. Some were even carried on silver palanquins. Marching bands accompanied them as they initiated the Royal bathing process.
The head of the Monasteries, called Akharas, threw flowers on the Hindu devotees as they shouted Har Har Gange (Long live Ganges).
‘Sadhus of Mahanirvani akhara took the lead in taking a dip in Ganga. The procession was led by young naked sadhus who even displayed their marshal art,’ Mishra said.
According to Hindu mythology, the Kumbh Mela celebrates the victory of gods over demons in a furious battle over nectar that would give immortality. The myth says the gods retrieved the nectar by churning a massive ocean of milk As one of the gods fled with the pitcher of nectar across the skies, it spilled on four places – Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar – where Kumbh mela is organized four times every 12 years.
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