The Kumbh Mela Experience: What To Expect?

Living in the technologically overpowered world, our culture and traditions are often forgotten. But, one tradition that is still standing strong with its faith increasing year after year is the sacred festival of Kumbh Mela. Kumbh Mela is held once in every three years at one of the four destinations: Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik and Ujjain, in a rotational manner. So, at a single place it is held once in every twelve years.

Also Read : Celebrating Faith At The Maha Kumbh Mela

It is one of the most unique events that blend the religious and cultural attributes of Hinduism. Imagine an endless colony of global crowd living in tents on the banks of a sacred river, praying and taking a holy dip in the cold water, with hundreds of ongoing cultural activities and rituals, there is literally nowhere on this earth that you will get to see such a sight.

The atmosphere at the Kumbh is filled with the calming sounds of chiming bells, vedic hymns, mantras, bhajans on loudspeakers, aroma of beautiful flowers and satvik food, the feel of weed-wrinkled air, sight of bunches of colorful capers, the largest and the most diverse crowd, tents all over, herd of cows, horses, flock of camels, gold and silver chariots being pulled by devotees portraying their strength and skill. Only the fortunate ones get to witness such a blissful sight. Congregation of saffron covered priests, devotees coming from across the globe, Indian policemen handling the crowd, ash smeared naga sadhus, shirshasinis, all together exhibit a view that is truly unique to the grand Kumbh Mela.

Also Read : Diving Into The Mythological History Behind Kumbh Mela

With the accumulation of such a spiritually powerful crowd at Kumbh, the positive energy of that particular region increases to its peak. Such is the nature of positive energy levels in the Kumbh that even the largest human gathering is handled all with ease and till now, no big blunder(except stampedes) has occurred at any of the Kumbh festivals that has harmed humanity to a larger extent. Even the slightest of the negativity is turned into something so positive that the only thing one can feel at the Kumbh Mela is just pure bliss. It is the place and time when one can immerse till eternity in the magic of one’s own soul. It is a place where one can explore the natural powers of their divine soul and unlock the doors to spirituality. Come join us at Kumbh Mela to initiate a journey within. To register for the event, please visit www.yogalife.co.in/seminar.

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December 1, 2015May 10, 2018

The Prosperous City Of Ujjain Is Waiting To Welcome You At The Maha Kumbh

Ujjain is well known as the city of the great lord Mahakal. The name Ujjain has been derived from the Prakrit language where it means garden. Its richness in terms of its huge gardens gave it the name Ujjain. The ancient Vedas and Puranas have often called Ujjain by various names such as Avantika, Avanti Nagri, Avantikapuri or Avantipuri, all derived from the word Avanti which was actually the name of King Kartavirya Arjun's son. Mahabharata and Valmiki's Ramayan have also called the city by the name of Avanti.The prosperous place was also called as Vishala due to its huge area and Padmavati as it was a home too various grand and beautiful places. Another famous name was Ujjayini that had its roots from the sutra "Striyamwanti Kurubhyashcha" that was written by the great scholar Panini.

An inspiring fact about Ujjain is that the city specifically in the earlier times was very well equipped with all kinds of joy. It was thus given the name of Bhogavati. Due to its immense opulence, people from the past have even referred it by the name of Hiranyavati. The world famous Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is placed in Ujjain, that gave the city another popular name Mahakalpuri or Shivpuri. Being the capital city of one of the most powerful Kings Maharaja Vikramaditya, the historical city was also called as Vikrampuri.

Simhastha Kumbh Mahaparv attracts millions of holy men and women from across the globe to Ujjain. About three lakh hindu monks, five thousand mahants, five hundred Mahamandaleshwars, hundreds of spiritual leaders and the four Shankaracharyas attend the glorious event. With the aura of such sacred personalities converging at one place to celebrate faith, the energy levels of the surrounding space increases to its peak. The environment becomes totally divine and positivity flourishes leaving every person attending the event in the state of perfect bliss. The month long festival in Ujjain occurs at the holy banks of river Kshipra spreading on more than 3000 hectares of land. The Government of Madhya Pradesh provides its complete support during the mega event. Well organised premises and success of the event can be owed to the preparations that usually begin an year before by the Madhya Pradesh Government.

Six huge satellite towns will be created during the Mahaparv in 2016 and for convenience of the passengers usually two new flag stations will be established in Ujjain for trains to halt. The government takes care of the basic amenities like electricity, drinking water, comfortable lodging and security to be made available along the bank of river Kshipra for people visiting during the Kumbh festival. Around fifty one police chowkies will be created for security of the visitors. Concrete cement ghats, roads and bridges are also being constructed for hassle free experience at Kumbh. Madhya Pradesh government is putting all its efforts to make Ujjain pollution free, eco friendly, clean and beautiful before the Maha Kumbh in 2016 in order to provide a great hospitality to the visitors.

During Simhastha, one can also witness various spiritual and cultural events being organised by the Akharas and various spiritual groups. The Internationally recognised Ujjain Yoga Life Society is organising the Yoga Kumbh 2016 during the glorious Simhastha Maha Kumbh 2016.

Lead by Pundit Radheshyam Mishra, this organisation will be hosting three International Yoga conferences and seminars at the Kumbh 2016. Hundreds of globally recognised spiritual leaders, speakers and yogis will be attending the event providing a golden opportunity to witness all the great personalities at a one place. Several workshops and seminars will be conducted by experts from the field of Yoga, Meditation, and Spirituality during the month.

With a well secured and isolated area of their own on the banks of Holy River Kshipra, visitors from all over the world can experience a well organised and comfortable stay at the luxurious tents being specially constructed by the Ujjain Yoga Life Society. About two hundred CCTV cameras, drone cameras, on site fire brigade, emergency medical help along with hundreds of security personnel will be available round the clock throughout the Yoga Kumbh premises to ensure complete safety and security of the guests. So, rejuvenate, relax and meet your true self by joining us for a spectacular celebration of faith at the Maha Kumbh 2016.

To register and know more about the event, please click here.

Author : Dr. Priyal Matreja

November 30, 2015May 10, 2018

Diving Into The Mythological History Behind Kumbh Mela

Though entitled to attain a gilded body sometimes even the gods, becoming immersed in attachment, start singing the songs of darkness. Even that enlightened mind and life which could have pulsated with divine energy, in its conceitedness, gets forced to drink the poison of life. Singing the songs of victory in his own blank and naked imaginations, and intoxicated by the ego of his kingdom, Lord Indra did not give God Brihaspati the required respect to which he was rightfully entitled. The furious Acharya disappeared from there and the heaven which was giving rise to magnificence through the gloriously illuminated colours got cast over by some darkness. Astonishing bad omens pointing towards ill fortune began to occur, and taking benefit of this situation the king of demons King Bali, launching an attack over heaven, established his rule over the whole of the kingdom along with its heads, including the king, the royal treasure, the army and the like. The royal elephant Airavata and horse Uccaisrava were decorated with invaluable jewels at that moment, which the demons began to take to the patala loka, the world beneath the earth. But they were meant to be of use for those men having a pure soul and those jewels, with the demons not being able to contain them, fell into the ocean.

As effulgent as a flame, that creation of Lord Indra as of burned to ashes, a nectarous life became poisonous, and then Lord Indra corrupted by reigning over heaven, eventually came under the refuge of Lord Vishnu by becoming absorbed in offering great austerities to Lord Vishnu. The intellect which had become delusional due to egoism, got rid of its delusions upon taking the refuge of Lord Vishnu, and only Lord Vishnu advice now Lord Indra went to the doors of King Bali offering a hand of friendship. King Bali, giving refuge to Lord Indra, arranged for a grand welcome as well, and then Lord Indra began to stay there itself. With the passage of time to reacquire the jewels which had fallen into the ocean, a samudra manthan or churning of the ocean became an utmost necessity.

In an ocean of endless waters surrounding all land mass, popular by the name of Kshiroda, were the jewels and the amrta or the nectar of immortality hidden . There was an irrepressible enthusiasm amongst both the gods and the demons concerning the splendid imagination of acquiring this nectar, but searching the ocean and obtaining amrta was no ordinary task; to the contrary it was like going through an agni pariksha, the fire test, for the gods and the demons. With much exuberance a planning for the churning of the ocean was prepared. The king of mountains, Mount Mandarcala, was requested and convinced to become the churning stick and the king of snakes, NagarajaVasuki, to act as rope. The gods and demons both engaged in this great expedition of the world with much exuberance, and the samudra manthan commenced. Towards Nagaraja Vasuki's head stood the demons and towards his tail stood the gods, and making the Mount Mandaracala the churning stick, began to churn the ocean. All the three worlds - the heaven, the world we live in, and the nether world - began to tremble with the dreadfulness of churning, and the misery of the beings and the animals, and of the ocean itself, was inexplicable. In this churning there was a fear that Mount Mandaracala acting as a churning stick, might slip and get submerged in the ocean, and hence Lord Vishnu himself taking the form of a kacchapa, a turtle was providing it with a base.

The first to emerge in this churning was a venomous poison (kalkuta) that began to afflict each and every one, and which for the welfare of all the beings was consumed by Lord Shiva, who only upon drinking the poison came to be called as the Nilkantha, the one with the blue throat. By drinking this poison the lord of lords, Lord Shiva, had as if given a fearless second life to all. From the churning that continued further, emerged Kamdhenu, the cow, Uccaisrava, the horse; Airavata, the elephant; Kaustubha, the jewel; Parijata, the tree; apsaras like Rambha; the moon; Pacajanya Shankha, the conch; Sanga, the bow; and others, and then emerged the divine Goddess Mahalakshmiwho is also known by other names such as Vedanta, fundamental knowledge, cosmic knowledge, maya and riddhi-siddhi. Goddess Mahalakshmi getting attracted towards the divine glory of Lord Vishnu, went close to him and put forth a garland of flowers with her own hands in Lord Vishnu's neck, and became established towards the left side ifVishnu as his consort. It is since then that she came to be called as Vaishnavi. And after that emerged Vishvakarma, the architect, and God Dhanvantari holding the pot of nectar in his hands, and finally the efforts of the gods and demons fructified.

Jayanta, the son of Lord Indra, catching sight of the amrta kalasha or the pot filled with nectar, quickly snatched it from the hands of God Dhanvantari, and the demons receiving an indication from Lord Shukrcharya, the Guru of demons, ran after Jayanta. According to the counting of gods, for twelve divine days a frightened Jayanta kept running with the amrta kalasha. The four places where Jayanta had putdown the pot of nectar in these twelve years were Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik, and at these four places at that time, the sun, moon, and planets had reached that unique astrological alignment, during which are Kumbh festival celebrated at these four places today. The demons were protected by Shukracharya, and hence this kumbh or pot was saved from the demons by God Brhaspati, in which the sun had played a major role. It was the sun who with the support of God Brhaspati - the Guru of Gods; the moon; and his son Lord Shani had saved the nectar from dropping and the pot from getting damaged. It was Lord Shani who had guarded the amrta kalasha. Twelve days of the gods are equal to twelve years of the mortal beings, and thus in accordance began the celebration of twelve Kumbh festivals, amongst which four are celebrated at four places in India and the rest eight in the divine worlds. According to the Haridwar hymns of Skanda Purana. Kumbh festivals are not just celebrated where the Kalasha was put down, but where the nectar had spilled along with the putting down of the kalasha.

For online reservations of Yoga Kumbh 2016; please click here

The article is an excerpt from The Mystic Faith - For a Drop of Nectar by Manoj Thakkar & Jayesh Rajpal published in 2013 and is widely available at book store and online stores.

November 26, 2015May 10, 2018

Celebrating Faith At The Maha Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela 2016

The Maha Kumbh Mela, a month long Hindu religious festival held every 12 years in India is the world's largest congregation of devoted pilgrims. This periodically celebrated colossal event alternates between Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar every four years.The Simhastha Kumbh of Ujjain on the ghats of holy river of Kshipra holds special significance as it is the pious place of divine Mahakal- the lord of all times.

The Maha Kumbh in Ujjain is celebrated astrologically when the Jupiter ascends in the sunsign leo's quarter or 'simha' constellation of zodiac which is why it is called 'Simhastha'. The esteemed ritual of bathing in the holy waters of Kshipra River marks the high point of this grand celebration which begins on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Chaitra (March-April) and continues on the subsequent days until the full moon day in the following month of Vaishakha (April-May).

Such is the galactic nature of this religious mega fair that virtually an ephemeral megacity comes to exist on the banks of glorious Kshipra River which is thronged by millions of devotees and sadhus over this period.

It is believed that a dip in the sacred waters of river Kshipra during Simhastha can wash away all your sins and lead you to a path of liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Convergence of people, sadhus, priests and spiritual leaders from different regions of the world to mark the glorious celebration of Indian traditions and beliefs, makes this mega event a golden opportunity for every human being to experience the process of self-purification and welfare.

Click to Know More About Yoga Maha Kumbh in Ujjain