Kumbh Mela – India’s largest sacred gathering
India is one of those counties where fairs and festivals take place with the change of every season. Every festival in India is celebrated with great joy and happiness. Some festivals are celebrated with colors while others are celebrated with glowing diyas and candles. These fairs and festivals have special significance and have always glorified the rich culture and traditional beauty of India. One such festival will also take place this year in Haridwar, known as the Kumbh Mela.
Kumbh Mela or the festival of the great urn is the symbol of the attainment of Nirvana or liberation from the life cycle of birth and death. This festival has great significance in Hindu religion and is religiously important for Hindus. The religious aspect and the legend of this great festival date back to the time when the nectar vessel for immortality was recovered from the mixture of the ocean, for which a tense war broke out between God and the Devil. Around twelve days and twelve nights there was a fierce battle between God and the demons to possess the amrit pot. It is believed that during the battle, drops of amrit fell on the four places, Nasik, Ujjain, Haridwar and Allahabad. To remember the sacred event Amrita Kalasha Kumbha, Kumbh Mela in India is held at these four places every three years.
The various features and importance of the Hindu festival are best explored in its various forms. People from all corners of the world come under one umbrella and make this great event a success. Naga, hermits, sages and yogis gather in one place and perform rituals and customs by bathing in the holy water of Ganga and the end result is a diverse display of spiritual power that is an experience in itself. Not only sadhus, many holy and great souls gather in this holy gathering, but people from European counties also come to be a part of this age-old festival and the largest holy gathering of people in India.
You will come across various amazing faces, some painted with ashes, others with long hair touching their feet, while others with long tikas on their foreheads. They are none other than the great saints, sadhus, yogis and hermits who come from the length and breadth of the country and gather to take a dip in the holy water of Ganga. The spiritual and sacred water of Ganga is believed to wash away sins and purify the soul and life of an individual.
Well if you want to be a part of this holy gathering then come to Haridwar. It is one of the four places where this holy festival will take place. It is the city with enormous religious significance and one of the seven holy cities of India. The year the Kumbh Mela will be held in Haridwar. So never miss this golden opportunity to purify your soul and change the course of your life. So this time let your heart soak up all the spirituality of the holy land of Haridwar at the 2010 Kumbh Mela.