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News of Jan
3, 2007
Millions Make a Tryst With Faith
as Ardh Kumbh Begins
By Sharat Pradhan
Allahabad, Jan 3
Braving biting temperatures, hundreds of thousands of Hindus
Wednesday took a dip at the confluence of three rivers here as the
42-day Ardh Kumbh festival got underway in a once in six year
spectacle of spirituality, devotion and stoicism.
It was well before dawn that men, women and children began heading
towards the icy cold waters of Sangam - the confluence of the Ganga,
Yamuna and the now invisible Saraswati rivers - in the belief that a
ritual dip would wash away all their sins.
While everyone traversed the distance from camps that were as far as
10 km away on foot, there were some who covered the journey by
prostrating themselves after each step till they reached the holy
waters.
Monks, saffron clad as well as the naked, from 13 prominent Hindu
congregations, businesspersons and homemakers, the young and the
old, the rich and the poor formed snaking queues till the fair site.
Nearly half a million people had taken their dip by about 9 a.m.,
said chief organiser P.R. Mishra, estimating that the figure would
go up to two million by the end of the day.
About 70 million Hindus are expected to gather at the Rs.1.7 billion
(nearly $4 million) religious extravaganza, referred to by some as
the largest human congregation in the world, before it concludes on
Feb 16.
While the first day of the fair essentially attracts devotees from
nearby areas, there are also the 200,000 odd 'Kalpvaasis' who stay
here for an entire month. There were many foreigners too seeking
"divine blessings".
"I have been in India for five years and have been anxiously
awaiting the opportunity to take a dip at the Sangam during the
Kumbh Mela. I don't have words to describe the divine ecstasy that I
have experienced today," said Ram, a 25-year-old Israeli tourist.
"And yes, Ram is an original name given to me by my own parents who
were equally impressed by Indian people and their spiritual ways,"
Ram told IANS.
While bulk of the arrivals were from rural pockets of India, there
were many, many others as well.
Like Naba Kumar Ghosh, a young schoolteacher from Kolkata. "It has
been my cherished desire to take a dip at the Sangam during the
Kumbh Mela. The experience has been one of fulfillment - complete
cleansing of the inner self," he said.
Added 29-year-old Jayanta Banerjee, a businessman from Kolkata: "My
pursuit was slightly different; apart from spirituality what is
unique about Kumbh is the convergence of varied Indian people who
come from diverse cultures, speak different languages."
He described the Kumbh as a "reflection of true India, where all
barriers are overcome by the flowing waters of the Ganga that
swallows two other great rivers to move ahead on its journey."
For 70-year-old Shakuntala from Sahdol district in Madhya Pradesh,
"It was a divine experience. A dip in the holy waters is like being
with god."
Clearly, she gets her inspiration from the likes of 80-year-old Rama
Devi, who has not missed a 'Kumbh' dip at the Sangam since she was
born. Her 30-year-old son B.K. Mishra, a soldier in the army
guarding India's northeast borders, took his mother on his back from
their home in Allahabad to the Sangam about 10 km away.
The biggest days of the festival are Jan 19 (Mauni Amavasya), when
about 20-25 million are expected, Jan 14-15 (Makar Sakranti and the
day after), Jan 23 (Basant Panchami), Feb 3 (Magh Purnima) and Feb
16 (Maha Shivratri).
It's a huge logistical challenge for the administration.
A vast area of about 4,000 acres stretching for about eight
kilometers along the Ganga and Yamuna riverbanks has been converted
into a giant tent township.
"We have created a huge infrastructure, which includes laying of
about 76 km of thick steel sheets to serve as convenient walking
paths on the sandy riverbanks," said an official, adding that 456 km
of drinking water pipelines have been laid.
Besides a fully equipped 100-bed makeshift hospital, 14 primary
health
centers have been created for visitors.
Unlike the 12-yearly Kumbh that is celebrated in four places across
the country - Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik - Ardh Kumbh is
held only at Allahabad and Haridwar.
The event's timing is governed by the Hindu tradition and
astronomical configurations.
"Ardh Kumbh commences when Jupiter begins to enter Taurus and the
sun as well as moon are in Capricorn - and that happens only once in
six years," pointed out Ram Naresh Tripathi, an Allahabad-based
scholar of Sanskrit and Hindu mythology.
"This city of Prayag (old name for Allahabad) has the unique
distinction of being right at the centre of the earth, and the
sunrays falling directly on the spot during the period generate
unique minerals in the water at the holy 'sangam'."
IANS
News of Jan
3, 2007
Is
Sangam Water Fit for Bathing?
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