To be at the Maha Kumbh celebrations at Haridwar is to
get caught up in a swell of pure devotion, and rituals that haven't changed
since time immemorial… Photos: Gustasp and Jeroo Irani
Intense moments: Lighting the Ganga Ārati at
Har-ki-Pouri at the foot of the mighty snow-capped
It was the second day of the Maha Kumbh 2010 immersions
and there was an air of expectancy as people from all walks of life and from
all corners of the country started to pour into the eternal city.
Haridwar, considered one of the holiest cities in
Indeed, there was the sense of camaraderie that comes
when strangers get together to share a common stage. We found ourselves adrift
in a surreal world where different realities overlapped. For, we had checked
into Leisure Hotel's luxury tented resort on the terrace of a grand haveli,
overlooking a private ghat, buzzing with activity: a holy man in orange robes
sat cross-legged on the opposite misty bank, deep in meditation; men stripped
down to their underwear and women in dripping saris took purifying dips in the
freezing jade-green waters of the Ganga; pilgrims floated offerings of flowers,
burnt camphor and incense sticks; sadhus with flowing locks and hooded eyelids
pulled on chillums; a young chela washed the feet of his stooped,
grey-whiskered guru; others scooped up the river water in containers to take
back home… Despite the presence of security men in camouflage uniforms,
sporting mean-looking guns supervising the proceedings, we were caught in the
swell of unadulterated devotion being poured into the surging river as it swept
by.
Special
arrangements
And then there were times when we felt a little
detached from this pious euphoria as the resort had made special arrangements
for our group which included a private river ārati performed by the resident
pandit. There were even separate enclosures for men and women to take their
purifying dip in the
Later we climbed up one level to the open terrace of
the haveli resort from where we had a grandstand view of the āratis being
performed in all the havelis, temples and shrines that lined the banks of the
river: the ringing of bells, the swirling of oil lamps, the chanting of
mantras… Later we would cross over to the other bank of the river and marvel at
the similarity between this stretch of the waterfront and
We soon realised that trying to reach Har-ki-Pauri,
where the main immersions take place, was going to be a futile task. The
previous day, the first of the Maha Kumbh 2010 which had commenced with much
zeal and an air of organised chaos, security personnel had blocked access to
the site as it was brimming to capacity with over five lakh devotees.
So we were there early the following evening (the first
half of the day we strolled down the streets of the hyperactive city and
visited some of its more important shrines and temples including the Daksha
Mahadev Temple that is linked to the tragic death of Sati and a cable chair
ride to Mayadevi Temple on the summit of a neighbouring ridge). Though there
was no Kumbh ‘bathing' that day, the waterfront swarmed with devotees who had
come to witness the ārati performed here each day at sunset.
A sadhu on the banks of the
Spontaneous
reaction
The urgent tolling of temple bells sent a thrill of
anticipation through the crowd and the frenetic activity around the ghats came
to a grinding halt. Even the setting sun appeared to pause. The priest who had
been priming the oil wicks of the many layered lamps set them on fire and
started to swirl the flames in unison right across the ghat.
The
The evening ārati
The origins
The Maha Kumbh dates back to the creation of the
universe. According to Hindu mythology, the devas and the asuras once decided
to set aside their eternal differences and together retrieve the Kumbh (pot)
that contained the nectar of immortality from the depths of the ocean. Using a
giant serpent as a rope the two groups started to churn the ocean. Almost
immediately the waters started to release its many treasures as well as other
evil elements. Just before it was ready to finally surrender the nectar of
immortality, a cloud of viş or poison
escaped and threatened to contaminate the entire universe. At that crucial
moment Lord Shiva stepped in and swallowed the viş in one large gulp. But rather than consume it, he held the
deadly poison in his throat and as a result his body turned to a deep shade of
blue.
When Dhanwantari, the divine healer, finally appeared
with the Kumbh in his hands, a great fight broke between the two sides, each
one trying to wrest the pitcher for themselves. During the fierce battle that
raged across the sky, a few drops of the immortal elixir fell at four different
places in
Ever since, when the configuration of the stars and
planets are just right—when Jupiter enters Aquarius and the Sun is in Aries—the
waters of the rivers that run through these cities once again turns into
nectar. It is believed that a dip in these miraculous waters at this point of
time heals and cleanses the soul and body. This event, known as the Kumbh Mela,
happens once every three years and in rotation between the four cities.
Over a period of three months, there will be 10
ritualistic snans or bathing days that coincide with auspicious days of
celestial significance. The festival reaches a crescendo with the Royal Baths on
February 12 and 15 March 15 after which it tapers off; the last ‘ bath' taking
place on April 28. It will be another 12 years before the Maha Kumbh returns to
Haridwar again.
http://www.hindu.com/mag/2010/02/07/stories/2010020750330800.htm
Here is another experience of eternity at Srisailam on
the banks of the
