"Maha Kumbh Mela"
"चतुरः कुंभांचतुर्धा ददामि पुर्णः कुम्भोद्योगकाल आहितस्तं |"
Kumbh means a pot. In our Hindu religion, Kumbh has been given a special sacred place. In Atharvaveda, Kumbh has been described as a symbol of protection. While in the Puranas, Kumbh is associated with Lord Vishnu. That is why in today's time, before buying any property, the first thing to do is to have a Kumbh and a Coconut on it.
The Kumbh Mela held in four cities is considered very sacred for the saints, sadhus and devotees of Hinduism. Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years. It is also called "Purna Kumbh Mela". And when this Kumbh Mela is held 12 times, then the Maha Kumbh Mela is organized. Maha Kumbh Mela is organized every 144 years.
Which is held in Prayagraj. It is held where the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati is called. In modern times, the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna is seen, but the Saraswati river is not seen due to its disappearance. The planning of this fair is decided based on astrology and the movement of planets.
Crores of people feel blessed by participating in this fair. This fair is considered a festival of human culture and spirituality. In 2017, Kumbh Mela was given a place in the "Intangible Cultural Heritage" by UNESCO. This year, this fair, which started on 13 January and will end on 26 February, will be held on 4000 hectares.
Do you know why the Kumbh Mela is famous? It is said that during the churning of the ocean by the gods and demons, an nectar pot came out. When the gods were taking the Kalash to heaven after saving it from the demons, four drops of nectar fell from the Kalash on the ground. And the place where these four drops fell became a holy place. That place is Haridwar, Nashik, Prayagraj and Ujjain.
That is why Kumbh Mela is organized in all these four places. Bathing is of great importance in this fair. According to one belief, bathing in the holy rivers in Kumbh Mela destroys all sins and gives salvation.
According to the Puranas, the fruit of a hundred yajnas is obtained by bathing in this one bath. Therefore, crores of devotees, tourists, saints, mahants, participate in the fair. Crores of pilgrims from all over the world come here and take advantage of the fair.
The royal bath of this fair is first mentioned in the Rigveda. In which it is described as "Nahan Parva". Apart from this, Kumbh is also mentioned in Narada Purana and Vayu Purana. Shahi Snan means this 45-day fair, there are some special days in which that day is considered more auspicious.
Which is also called "Rajayogi Snan." According to tradition, only Naga Sadhus get the benefit of this Shahi Snan first. Then Sant Samaj Sadhus and only after that other people can take the benefit. This year, the special days are 13, 14 and 29 January and 3, 12 and 26 February.
There is a lot of difference between the Kumbh Mela held in the past and the Kumbh Mela held now. In this changing era, a lot of infrastructure has been improved according to new technology. In today's time, AI is progressing. So AI is going to be very helpful in this fair too.
In the past, it used to happen that people used to get separated from their families. And they used to meet after years. But this year it will not happen. Because the entire fair is equipped with AI control cameras. Which will check the face in microseconds.
Apart from this, strong GPS system, communication system has been made more advanced. And helpline number 1920 has been started. And help desks have been set up at some distance. And apart from this, security staff, police, paramilitary forces will be deployed among the people 24*7. Which will be equipped with body worn cameras, walkie talkies, signal lights. Which will provide an unrivaled security shield. Apart from this, people will also get a guide through the Kumbh Mela app, bot and website with QR Code of different colors. Which will support in 12 languages. Many facilities are provided in this fair by the Tourism Department and the state government. Tours are also organized in special packages from different places. Apart from this, more than 40 thousand tents have been made for accommodation. Apart from this, different events are also organized on that day. This fair was last organized in the year 2013. In which 15 crore people took advantage of the fair. This year, an estimated 40 crore people are likely to take advantage of the fair. This fair is so grand that it can be seen with the naked eye from space. To take advantage of the spiritual energy once in a lifetime, one should definitely go to the Kumbh Mela, which is a confluence of faith, history, and culture. --Bhautik Thummar
