Ardh Kumbh Mela or Half Pitcher festival is one of the biggest Hindu festivals in India. According to Indian history, this festival is more than 2000 years old. The main attraction of this festival is that hundreds and thousands of Hindu devotees dip into the water of Ganges to clean their sins and turn themselves into pious souls. This year, the Ardh Kumbh Mela has started from January 3rd and according to Sidney Morning Herald, five million people have plunged into the Ganges to purify themselves neglecting the chilling cold. I am quoting from the report:
ABOUT 5 million Hindus have plunged into the chilly waters of the Ganges, despite concerns that Hinduism's sacred river had become too polluted to bathe in safely.
Clutching tridents, chanting mantras and shouting the battle cries of Lord Shiva, ordinary devotees and ash-clad sadhus entered the river at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday, during the Ardh Kumbh festival.
About 70 million pilgrims will attend the three-month festival but Monday was the single biggest bathing day after astrologers declared it a particularly auspicious "royal bathing day".
Astrologers declared Monday as the “Royal bathing day.” Despite making advance in education and technology middle class Hindus are very religious. They look forward to this event with lots of hopes.
The Ardh Kumbh Mela is observed after every three years in one of the four sites. The Maha Kumbh Mela is observed in Allahabad after every twelve years.
Another major attraction of this festival is the saints or Sadhus that come from all over India. Many of these sadhus have large number of followers. This year, the saints threatened that they would not attend the festival because of the heavy pollution of the Ganges. Despite spending 13 billion Rupees, Indian government could not do anything to decrease the pollution. Later, the local government poured fresh water from the near by dam.
For some people, Ardh Kumbh Mela is a great place of tragedy. In the huge crowd many people get lost. Some people intentionally leave their children or elderly people. The organizers keep the children for fifteen days and then send them to the orphanage. Few days ago, I have written about Jashan- e- Bahran or Basant Panchami that is observed in Punjab. India is a place where people of different religion live together . Althrough the year, they observe various festivals. Ardh Kumbh Mela is the famous Hindu festival. Let us hope and pray that all the people who have been there fulfill their wishes and those who are lost joins with their family.
Related article: Daily Times
International Herald Tribune
Reuters
Sidney Morning Herald
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