• Home
  • RELIGION/CULTURE
  • Know the importance of the 6 royal or Amrit baths that take place in this Maha Kumbh, this tradition is related to the medieval period

Know the importance of the 6 royal or Amrit baths that take place in this Maha Kumbh, this tradition is related to the medieval period

0Shares
Image

On the first Amrit Snan on the day of Makar Sankranti in Yagraj Maha Kumbh, saints and ascetics from various Akharas took a dip in the confluence. (Photo: X/@Mahakumbh)

Where and when the Kumbh Mela will be organised depends on the planets and zodiac signs. The Sun, Moon and Jupiter planets have special importance in the Kumbh Mela. Kumbh Mela is organized only when the Sun and Jupiter enter from one zodiac sign to another and the place and date are decided on this basis.

Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest and most sacred religious events of Sanatan Dharma, which takes place once every 12 years. It is not just a religious event but an ancient tradition related to astronomical events, in which the position of planets has special importance and it is organized on this basis. The Maha Kumbh, which is going on from 13 January to 26 February in Prayagraj, has come after 144 years.

Kumbh is organized on the basis of the position of the Sun, Moon and Jupiter planets and the location is also determined on this basis. Kumbh Mela is organized at four places – Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain. There are four categories of this event – Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh, Purna Kumbh and Maha Kumbh.
Kumbh is organized once in 12 years in all the four places Haridwar, Nashik, Ujjain and Prayagraj in turn.
Ardh Kumbh is organized only in Prayagraj and Haridwar. Ardh Kumbh is organized at both these places once every 6 years.

Purna Kumbh is held only in Prayagraj and once in 12 years.

Mahakumbh is a rare event which comes after 12 Purna Kumbh i.e. after 144 years. That is why this event is called Mahakumbh. It is held only in Prayagraj, where the holy confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati (mythological) rivers takes place.

During the Maha Kumbh, pilgrims get the opportunity to purify themselves spiritually by taking a ritual bath at the Triveni Sangam. This time in the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh, 6 major dates have been fixed for the holy bath in the Sangam-

Paush Purnima: January 13

Makar Sankranti: January 14

Mauni Amavasya: January 29

Vasant Panchami: February 3

Maghi Purnima: February 12

Mahashivratri: February 26

It is believed that performing bathing rituals at the Triveni Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati (mythological) on these dates purifies the soul, atones for sins. Adi Shankaracharya started the Akhada tradition in the 8th century to protect Sanatan Dharma. There are a total of 13 Akhadas, which come to the Maha Kumbh and set up their camp. On the major dates of bathing, these Akhadas take out grand processions with elephants, horses, camels. The saints, sanyasis and Naga sadhus associated with them come to the banks of Sangam after adorning themselves with 17 ornaments and take a bath, which is also known as Amrit, Rajasi or Shahi Snan. The common people take a dip in the Sangam only after the Akharas have taken a bath. Amrit or Shahi Snan is the main attraction of this religious and spiritual event.

Importance of Amrit or Royal Bath

Amrit, Rajsi or Shahi Snan – there is special significance and cultural background behind these names. It is believed that Naga Sadhus are given the opportunity to bathe first due to their religious devotion. They come to bathe with royal pomp and splendor riding on elephants, horses and chariots. Due to this grandeur, it has been named Amrit Snan (Royal or Royal Bath). According to another belief, in the medieval period, kings and emperors used to go out for bathing with grand processions along with saints and sages. This tradition started Amrit Snan (Amrit Snan). Apart from this, it is also believed that the Maha Kumbh is organized keeping in mind the specific position of planets like Sun and Jupiter. Some special dates fall on the basis of the movement of planets. It is believed that bathing in holy rivers on these special dates leads to spiritual purification, atonement of sins, virtue and salvation. That is why the bathing on these dates is called Amrit Snan. Cultural importance of Maha Kumbh

Mahakumbh is very important not only from religious but also from cultural point of view. It includes Amrit Snan along with temple darshan, charity and other religious rituals. Naga Sadhus, Aghoris and Sanyasis participating in Maha Kumbh show the depth and diversity of Sanatan Dharma and tradition. This event of Maha Kumbh is a symbol of faith, social unity and cultural heritage of Sanatan Dharma.

What is the history of Kumbh, where did it start?

The origin of Kumbh Mela is from the mythology of Sanatan Dharma, especially the story of Samudra Manthan. According to this, when Indra and the gods became weak due to the curse of Durvasa Rishi, the demons attacked Devlok and defeated them. After being defeated by the demons, all the gods went to Lord Vishnu and narrated the whole story to him. Then Lord Vishnu asked the gods to churn the Ksheer Sagar along with the demons and extract Amrit. All the gods, following the instructions of Lord Vishnu, made a pact with the demons and started trying to extract Amrit from the Ksheer Sagar… When the Amrit Kalash came out of the Samudra Manthan, Indra’s son Jayant disappeared with it on the instructions of the gods. On the advice of Guru Shankaracharya, the demons chased Jayant and after a lot of effort, caught him. Then, a war continued for 12 days between the gods and the demons to gain control of the Amrit Kalash. It is said that during this war, a few drops of Amrit fell at four places on Earth. These four places are Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. That is why Kumbh Mela is organized at these four places. It is also believed that 12 days of Devlok are equal to 12 years on Earth. Therefore, once every 12 years, Kumbh is organised at these four places.

How is the date and place of Kumbh Mela decided?

When and at which place Kumbh Mela will be organised depends on the planets and zodiac signs. Sun, Moon and Jupiter planets have special importance in Kumbh Mela. Kumbh Mela is organized only when Sun and Jupiter enter from one zodiac sign to another and on this basis the place and date are decided. When Jupiter (Jupiter) enters Taurus sign and Sun enters Capricorn sign, then Kumbh Mela is organised at Prayagraj at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati (mythological). When Sun enters Aries sign and Jupiter enters Aquarius sign, then Kumbh Mela is organized on the banks of Ganga river in Haridwar. When Sun and Jupiter enter Leo sign, then Kumbh Mela is organised on the banks of Godavari river in Nashik. When Jupiter enters Leo sign and Sun enters Aries sign, then Kumbh Mela is organized on the banks of Shipra river in Ujjain. It is called Simhastha Kumbh because of the entry of Jupiter in Leo sign.