Kumbh Mela 'The holy bath of the Kumbh is equal in piety to thousands of Kartik snans (baths), a hundred Magh snans and crores of Narmada snans. The fruits of a Kumbh snan are equal to the fruits of thousands of Ashvamedh Yajnas and lakhs of journeys around the earth'. The most popular legend regarding the origin of Kumbh Melas is the samudra manthan or 'churning of the ocean': gods and demons competed fiercely by churning the ocean in order to look for the urn (kumbh) full of the divine nectar of immortality. During this epic battle, drops of the precious liquid fell on four places -Haridwar, Prayag (Allahabad), Nashik and Ujjain - thus marking the sites of the four melas. Kumbh Mela, held once every twelve years at these four places, attracts millions of devotees, while the Ardha Kumbhs are held every six years. The Hardiwar Kumbh is held when Jupiter is in the ascendant of the Aquarius or the kumbh constellation and the sun is in the Aries or the mesh constellation of the zodiac. Millions come for the ritual bathing in the holy waters of the Ganga. According to official records, during the Purna Kumbh at Haridwar in 2010, approximately 10 million people bathed on the opening day (14 April) alone. Allahabad holds the Maha Kumbh Mela after 12 Purna Kumbh Melas, that is, once every 144 years, and this is the biggest religious congregation in the world! Chandi Devi Temple, situated atop the hill, is where Goddess Chandi killed the demons Chanda-Munda. It was constructed in 1929 by the king of Kashmir, Suchat Singh. Another legendary temple is that of Daksheshwar Mahadev, which is located in Kankhal town, about 4 kms from Haridwar. It is believed that King Daksha Prajapati, father of Goddess Sati, performed a Maha Yagna but did not invite her husband, Lord Shiva. Humiliated by the insult meted out to her husband, Sati jumped into the sacrificial fire and was charred to death. Another interesting place is the Sapta Rishi ashram. Legend says that seven rishis (sages) were immersed in deep meditation and river Ganga, not wanting to disturb them, split herself into seven little streams. Gurukul Kangri University was established in 1902 by Swami Shraddhanand, to revive the ancient Indian education system. The archaeological museum of this university houses rare manuscripts and artifacts, some dating back to the Harappan civilisation. Piran Kaliyar Sharif is a half-hour's drive from Haridwar. This shrine of the Sufi saint Hazrat Alaudin Sabir Kaliyari was built by Ibrahim Lodi in the early 16th century. traFestivals and fairs are held throughout the year celebrating Haridwar's rich culture, tradition and mythology.
Kumbh mela is held in Haridwar every twelve years and the Ardha Kumbh every six years. The Kanwar Mela is held annually in the month of 'Shravan' or 'Saawan' (July-August). Other important religious festivals include: Makar Sankranti (January) Maha-Shivratri (February-March) Ganga Dussehra (June) Durga Puja (October-November) For more information on Uttrakhand tour packages contact Swan Tours, one of the leading travel agents in Connaught place.
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AuthorSwan Tours one of the leading travel agnets in India Archives
January 2018
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