by Mariya G

Created on: August 28, 2009

Ash-covered Naga Sadhus, holy men from all sects famous and obscure, yogis, fakirs, and millions of men and women from India and beyond pound the dusty roads to get to Kumbh Mela. A great pilgrimage and spiritual festival, Kumbh Mela is actually held in four different locations at different times at varying cycles every twelve years.

Kumbh Mela, or the gathering at the pitcher, is a celebration that dates back to the period of the Puranas or even earlier. The sacred sites that host these festivals are located on or near a river, with Allahabad being the most sacred of all because of the convergence of three holy rivers: Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati. However, Saraswati is more of a mystical river that does not have a physical presence. Perhaps it did exist at some time in the past but no longer. Instead, it is thought of as a mystical river whose currents carry not water but spirit or energy.

There are: Ardh Kumbh Mela, Purna Kumbh Mela and Maha Kumbh Mela. Maha Kumbh Mela, or the Great Kumbh Mela, is celebrated once every 144 years. The last one was held in 2001 in Allahabad and was attended by nearly 70 million people from India and all over the world.

The Kumh Mela tradition could be traced to several Vedic myths dating back thousands of years. In the ancient Hindu universe there are two opposing forces: those of order embodied in the Devas and those of chaos embodied in the Asuras. The Devas are very much like Greek gods and the Asuras are very similar to the jinn or even demons. These two factions are constantly at war with each other, vying for control of the universe. One myth says that at some point, they decided to call a truce. They wanted to obtain the nectar of immortality contained in a pitcher, kumbh, and needed to work together. But as soon as the pitcher was within their grasp the Asuras got away with it. The Devas pursued and tried to liberate the pitcher. The fierce battle over it raged for 12 days (12 human years). In the process, four tiny drops fell to the ground. Those became four holy places of pilgrimage four sites for the festival of the pitcher, Kumbh Mela.

During the celebration many different festivities and rituals take place. Gurus and holy men often give teachings and blessings and demonstrate their spiritual attainments. There are many communal prayers. But the central ritual that all pilgrims partake in is the bathing ceremony. The bathing ritual takes place on several auspicious days throughout the festival and must always be initiated by the Naga Sadhus (naked ascetics), because they are considered to be the purest and holiest of all human beings.

Hinduism is an ancient tradition, which, like a patch-work quilt, incorporates many different spiritual teachings and practices. The Kumbh Mela is the perfect place to observe the harmony of all these seemingly discordant movements.

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