Maha Kumbh Mela – A day in Prayag

Finally, I was there standing in front of Sangam, believed to be the spot where Brahma offered his first sacrifice after creating the world. Sangam, the Confluence of three of the holiest rivers according to the Hindu Mythology – Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati. The combined sacredness of the three rivers coupled with the mythological legend, according to which a few drops of nectar that turns mortal to immortal had fallen here, has made Allahabad the Tirthraja or, The King of Holy Places. The Kumbh mela takes place every 12 years at the confluence of the rivers – Ganges and Yamuna – at Prayag in Allahabad. The Mela will go on for two months and will conclude on Maha Shivaratri on March 10.

The Kumbh Mela is specially unique this time as it is taking place after a cycle of 144 years. The Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Allahabad, the Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place every twelve years, at four places Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. The Maha (great) Kumbh Mela which comes after 12 ‘Purna Kumbh Melas’, or 144 years, is held at Allahabad.

This is precisely why Kumbh Mela organized in Allahabad in 2013 is of a different level and attracts millions of devotees to the shores. It was not a day of ‘Shahi Snans’ or ‘Royal bathing day’, when we were there on Saturday, the 2^nd of February. However, the Sangam was full of people, taking holy dip or waiting for their turn.

There was still half an hour for the sunrise. Already several people gathered in the ghat for the holy dip. It is believed that a bath at the confluence of these three rivers increases the bather’s purification by hundred times. Whereas during the period of Kumbh Mela, it is believed that it is a thousand times stronger an influence.

The main bathing days for this year’s Kumbh Mela are Makar Sankranti (Jan 14), Paush Purnima (Jan 27), Mauni Amavasya (Feb 10), Basant Panchmi (Feb 15), Maghi Poornima (Feb 25) and Maha Shivratri (Mar 10). Last time, we couldn’t see Sangam and I was excited to see the place where the brownish Ganges meets the Greenish Yamuna. Both of which have an earthly origin in the Himalayan mountain range, Saraswati on the other hand has no physical form and is believed to exist ethereally, without being visible to the human eye. There is numerous boats available, which will ferry you till Sangam. I jumped into one such boat and very soon found myself in the middle of Yamuna. You can easily identify the difference in color of the two holy water streams. River Ganga is brownish due to heavy soil erosion through out its way; on the other hand river Yamuna is greenish.

Yeah, it was a handshake kind of experience with our feathered friends. In the winters, Sangam attracts huge flocks of Siberian birds and according to locals most of these birds stay there throughout the year as well. These Siberian birds present a mesmerizing view at the Sangam. Bobbing up and down alongwith the ripples in the calm waters, these Siberian birds are an added attraction. The whiteness of the birds is dazzling on the sparkling clear waters of Ganga and Yamuna.

The three hours boat ride in the morning was an experience, I would never forget. I have never seen such a clean Yamuna. It will be difficult for you to believe that the black drain, which leaves Delhi as a sewer, laden with the city’s biological and chemical wastes and the Greenish Yamuna in Allahabad is actually the same. We have spent crores of rupees to clean our rivers, but we still have miles to go in this regard. True, public opinion is growing but still it seems that there is no accountability on this issue. Who does the Yamuna belong to, after all?

After spending four hours, when I returned everyone has finished breakfast and curious to know about the mela. We left for Prayag once again in an hours’ time. We searched for the same boatman, as I had to pay him some money and reserved his boat for the rest of the day. Then we went to Sangam and roam around for few hours after taking holy dip together. They were very happy to be there and didn’t want to leave the place, particularly my son. He was very happy to see the birds flying all around him.