spirit of kumbh
TRANSCRIPT
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The biggest congregation in the
world, ardent devotees exhibiting
religious frenzy, the spectacular
sight of lands transformed into a mini-city in a
few months’ time – all culminate in a holy dip
in the sacred rivers – this is what the Kumbh
Mela is about.
India is a country that thrives on religion,
and religion is a great way to celebrate the
journey called life. Believers, be they the
common public, saints or charlatans, base
their lives on religion, drawing inspiration
from it in their daily lives. The huge number
of Hindu deities – 330 million, to be precise –
the number of temples, and the sheer number
of legends and stories associated with these
are staggering enough to send one into a tizzy.
Religion is so much a part of people’s lives that
any important work is preceded by invoking the
gods so that the work is completed successfully.
Some people’s religiosity is so pervasive that
it borders on superstition, making it difficult
to distinguish between simple faith and
superstition.
Hinduism, one of the ancient religions
of the world, is an amalgamation of three
traditions – Shaivism, Vaishnavism and
Shaktism. Shaivism refers to the worship of
Lord Shiva, while Vaishnavism and Shaktism
refer to the worship of Lord Vishnu and
goddess Durga, respectively.
The ultimate goal of Hinduism is to attain
moksha – salvation. One who has attained
moksha is said to be free from the cycle of
rebirth. Moksha is a state of supreme bliss,
attained under the guidance of a guru, through
rigorous practices. It is the state every ardent
Hindu would like to attain after death, and it
is believed that a dip in any of the holy rivers
near the places where the Kumbh Mela (fair)
is held, leads a person to moksha.
The Kumbh Mela is the opportunity
of a lifetime to experience a huge human
kaleidoscope – people of various castes and
creeds – united by the common aim of seeking
salvation. The atmosphere is spiritually
conducive and charged with shouts of “Har
Har Mahadev!”.The sincere efforts of even
the poorest people, the distances they traverse
and the hardships they undergo to have a
dip at the Kumbh are overwhelming to see.
Even tourists who come only to sightsee feel a
powerful sense of spirituality.
There are all kinds of contrasts – poor and
rich, spiritually inclined and dilettantes, very
young and the elderly, naked and well-dressed,
able- and feeble bodied. The Kumbh is a
potpourri of people of different classes, colour
A Naga deeksha ceremony
going on in full swing.
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TradiTionsHisTory and