HCA-A4 Deepavali Magazine-2016

18
www.hinducouncil.com.au
Hindu Council Deepavali Celebrations - 2016
Produced by
2016 Kumbh Mela at Ujjain
Prof Nihal S Agar AM
Introduction
The Sanskrit words Kumbh (sacred
pot) and Mela (Fair) literally refers to the
gathering of large number of Hindus on
the banks of ancient sacred rivers every
third year by rotation to express their
respect and reverence to the sacred
rivers. The festival of Kumbh Mela is the
largest congregation of Hindu pilgrims
in the world and is held in four places;
Haridwar (river Ganga), Allahabad
(Sangam of three rivers, Ganga,
Yamuna and Saraswati), Nashik (river
Godavari) and Ujjain (river Shipra).
At any given place the Kumbh is held
once in 12 yrs. The place and date
of each Kumbh Mela is determined
based on astrological calculations.
When the planets, sun and moon line
up in a particular way, there is incredible
positive charge in the atmosphere
of one of the Kumbh locations. This
positive charge affects the water, the
air and the entire atmosphere, such
that simply being at that special place,
and taking a bath in the holy water, is
exceptionally conducive to spiritual
growth, and to physical and emotional
well- being.
The festival is one of the most ancient,
yet still living, Hindu traditions. The
significance of this festival dates back
far into history; even in in the Vedas it is
described as a tradition that is already
well established. According to Hindu
mythology, the demons were fighting
with the Devas (Gods). The forces of
good were falling to the forces of evils.
The Devas requested Lord Vishnu
for help. The Lord advised them to
undertake “Sagar Manthan”- churning
of great milky ocean- with the help of
demons and that this process would
yield a gold pot of Amrit- the nectarwhich
would give the deities immortality.
Sagar Manthan took place and the
pot containing the Amrit discovered.
Indra- (the king of deities) knew that
the demons were planning to abscond
with the treasure of immortality. So, he
immediately signaled to his son, Jayant,
who grabbed the pot of nectar and
quickly ran away. The demons pursued
him relentlessly. The long chase lasted
12 days, which was the equivalent of
12 years on Earth. During the chase,
which traversed the realms of the Earth,
the heavens and the moons, Jayant
rested only four times. While he rested,
he placed the Kumbha on the ground
and a few drops of holy nectar spilled
onto the Earth in each place. These
four places have now become the four
centers of pilgrimage for Hindus for the
Kumbha Mela.
Rishis and sages have always
shouldered the responsibility of the
social, moral and spiritual upliftment
of the country. The nectar- which
manifests in the form of satsang,
knowledge, love and grace- is
distributed to all, without any
discrimination. The great assembly of
sannyasins, yogis, sages and saints
reassure and uplift the nation; hence
great masses of people rush to the
sacred places at the time of Kumbh
Mela. It is said that even those saints
and sages who live in divine isolation,
high in the Himalayas, engaged only in
meditation and austerities, emerge from
the mountains to attend the Kumbha.
Ujjain, one of the holiest of cities in
India, has been a great centre of Indian
thought and culture. The city is located
on the bank of a holy river, the Shipra.
The famous Mahakala temple in Ujjain
is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas where
Shiva is worshiped with ashes.
Kumbha Mela 2016 at
Ujjain
The Kumbha Mela in Ujjain was held
from April 22 to May 21, 2016. At this
Mela it is estimated that over 50 million
Hindus turned up inspite of very hot
weather (temperature close to 45 C)
to take bath in the holy river, listening
to religious discourses by saints and
sages and enjoying festive season.
A unique feature of Kumbha Mela 2016
in Ujjain was its intellectual dimension. It
was not only an occasion to exchange
views of spiritual matters but also on
important social, environmental and
climate change issues. For this reason,
the state government of Madhya
Pradesh initiated a series of seminars.
The culmination was