Which is the biggest Maha Kumbh in India? It is about the meaning of Kumbh along with its history, types and holy bath with its duration.
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The Kumbh fair in India has great religious significance. Today we will talk about the meaning of Kumbh Mela, its types and spiritual significance along with place, bathing etc.
Where is the Kumbh fair held?
If we look at the meaning of Kumbh, it means pitcher. The Kumbh fair held in Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik in India also has some relation with the pitcher.
To understand this relationship, we should know the story of Samudra Manthan in brief. According to this story, when the gods and demons churned the ocean with the help of Vasuki Nag, then Lord Dhanvantari appeared from it with Amrit Kumbh or the urn of nectar.
There was a war between the gods and demons to take this Amrit Kumbh. During the war, some drops of nectar fell on the ground from this Amrit Kumbh.
Kumbh Mela is held at those places on earth where these drops of Amrit fell. These drops of Amrit fell in Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik due to which Kumbh Mela is held at these places.
How many types of Kumbh Mela are there and after how many years is it held?
Now we talk about how many types of Kumbh Mela are there and after how many years is it held.
The holy occasion of Kumbh is linked to the movement of Jupiter. Jupiter has the status of Guru. Jupiter completes its revolution around the Sun in 12 years i.e. its zodiac cycle is completed in 12 years.
In this 12-year zodiac cycle, it enters from one zodiac sign to another every year due to which Kumbh Mela is held in some rivers.
Since Jupiter completes its revolution of the zodiac in 12 years, therefore Kumbh Mela is held at one place after every 12 years. This fair is called Purna Kumbh.
The Kumbh that comes after 12 full Kumbhs is called Maha Kumbh, that is, everywhere Maha Kumbh comes after 144 years. At some places, Kumbh fair is held even after 6 years, which is called Ardh Kumbh.
Among all the Maha Kumbhs, only the Maha Kumbh of Prayagraj is considered the most sacred because at this place there is a Triveni Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers.
How many baths are there in Kumbh and what is their importance?
Now we talk about how many baths are there in Kumbh and what is their importance.
In our religious texts, Panchsnan (five baths) are mentioned which are done in the form of Jal Snan, Pran Snan, Mantra Snan, Naad Snan and Dhyan Snan. Also, the gross body of a human being is considered to be made up of five sheaths like food, life, mind, intellect and ego.
Just as our body needs nutrition in the form of food, in the same way it is necessary to nourish these Panchkoshas as well.
The five baths that take place in Kumbh are related to the nourishment of these Panchkoshas. Jal snan (water bath) brings purity in the body. Prana snan is related to Prana energy in which the body gets nourishment in the form of Prana Vayu.
Chanting mantras in Mantra snan brings concentration in the mind. Naad snan is related to Vigyanmaya kosha (body body) with which intellect and knowledge are connected.
Actually, Naad snan is the pronunciation of Om which was the sound emitted at the time of the explosion of the universe and whose waves are present in the universe till date.
Dhyan snan is the purest state of the body in which the soul gets nourishment which gives bliss to the soul.
Author
Ramesh Sharma {M Pharm, MSc (Computer Science), PGDCA, MA (History), CHMS}
Disclaimer
The information given in this article has been taken from various online and offline sources, whose accuracy and reliability is not guaranteed. Readers should take this information for educational purpose only. Apart from this, the responsibility for any use of it will be on the user himself.
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