Kumbha Mela

Main article: World Festival Calendar

Kumbha Mela is a religious ablution festival in India, which is celebrated four times over 12 years in four places, so that every city in Kumbha is held every twelve years. Sometimes due to astrological shifts, the holiday is held after 11 years.

Ardha (half) Kumbha Mela is held every six years in Haridwar and Prayagraj, while Purna (full Kumbha Mela always takes place in Prayagraj every twelve years). Maha (great) Kumbh Mela comes after 12 Purna Kumbh Mela, every 144 years (the last time was according to some sources in 1977 ^[1], according to others - in 2001^[2]).

Where and when the Kumbh Mela is held

The venue of the festival changes between four pilgrimage sites on four holy rivers:

• at Haridwar on the Ganges River,
• in Prayagraj at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers,
• in Ujjain on Shipra,
• in Nashik on Godavari.

The first three years since ancient times are revered sacred. Hardwar - "the gateway to the gods" - was called Maya in ancient times. It received its current name at the end of the XIV century, when the city was again built on the ruins into which it was turned by the troops of Timur. Hardwar is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, near the Sivalik Mountains, where the Ganges overlooks the plain. Being a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus in itself, Hardwar also lies at the beginning of the paths to other holy places in the Himalayas - Gangotri, Kedarnath, etc.

Ujjain, located on the banks of the Kshipra River (which is also considered sacred), is better known in Indian history than Hardwar. It was one of the largest centers of the Guptas empire and the Harshavardhana empire (606-646 AD). From here, in ancient times and during the Middle Ages, the path to South India began. There are more than a hundred temples in the city, of which 13 are especially revered. The religious center of Ujjain is the Mahakal temple dedicated to Shiva, destroyed in KhІІІ and restored in the XVІІІ century. In 1775, Ujjain was captured by the Marathas and was part of the principality of Gwalior, which was ruled by the Sindia dynasty before the liquidation of the principalities in independent India. In February 1978, in the town of Nagda near Ujjain, in the presence of one hundred thousand believers, the Vishnu temple was consecrated and opened, built at the expense (5 million rupees) of the Birla family.

Nasik remained somewhat aloof from the Kumbh Mela celebrations. According to local residents, in Nasik, the amrite drop is reminiscent of the fact that the city is on top of a triangle that includes the oil-bearing regions of Ankleshwar and the Mumbai shelf. Here it is believed that a drop of amrita has turned into oil - the nectar of the modern industry.

However, the most popular venue for kumbh mela is undoubtedly Prayag. Every year in January-February, the annual Magh Mela festival is held in Prayagraj, which attracts smaller but still significant crowds, and once every six years the Magh Mela is called Ardha Kumbha Mela (half of Kumbha Mela). See below for more details.

The celebration in each place is based on a certain set of astrological positions of the Sun, Moon and Jupiter, and the most sacred time comes at the moment when these positions completely coincide. In particular, the Kumbha Mela in Prayag attracts millions of pilgrims.

Kumbha Mela lasts several weeks and is one of the largest festivals in the world. More than 200 million people visited it in 2019, including 50 million on the festival's most auspicious day.

Why pilgrims gather for swimming

The legends that formed the basis of the celebration are set forth in the medieval religious texts Matsya Purana and Govinda Purana ^[3]

The myth of the foundation of Kumbh Mela says that once the gods who lived on earth lost part of their power due to the curse imposed on them, which deprived them of strength and courage. Brahma (a creator god with perfect knowledge of rituals) advised them to plow the prehistoric milk ocean of the universe in order to obtain amrita - a wonderful elixir of immortality. To fulfill this difficult task, the gods concluded a temporary truce with asuras - demons (or, more precisely, titans). To appease the serpent king Vasuki, the demigods promised him a share of nectar, and he agreed.

Giant Vasuki turned around the legendary axis of the universe - Mount Mandara, demons took up their heads, gods by the tail, and the process went...

After 1000 earth years (and only 100 years flew for the gods), the work was completed - many wonderful artifacts appeared from the thickened milk, and after them the divine healer Dhavantari (it was this sage who conveyed knowledge, the sciences of everyday life - Ayurveda) with a kumbha (jug) full of amrita. The truce was immediately forgotten, and the battle began, which lasted 12 years. Eventually, the divine bird Garuda (who carries Vishnu on her back) managed to take possession of the amrita kumbha and fly away with it.

During the struggle, drops of elixir fell on the four earthly sites of Kumbh Mela, and it is believed that at the climax of each of them, the rivers again turn into this original nectar, giving pilgrims the opportunity to swim in the essences of purity, favorability and immortality.

The origin of the festival and its name

There is no historical literary evidence of mass pilgrimages called "Kumbha Mela" until the 19th century. There is sufficient evidence in historical manuscripts and inscriptions of the annual Magha Mel in India - with occasional large gatherings after 6 or 12 years - when pilgrims gathered in huge numbers and where one of the rituals involved immersion in a river or sacred reservoir.

Magha is the name of the month of the lunar calendar, which falls on January and February.

According to Kama Maclean, the socio-political events of the colonial era and the reaction to Orientalism led to the renaming of the ancient Magha Mela to the modern Kumbha Mela, especially after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

The term "Kumbha" comes from the mythical vessel with the elixir that the gods fought for in the Puran myths, but it is also the Hindi name for the Aquarius zodiac sign, which contains Jupiter on the date of the Mela in Haridwar.

In the traditional Indian zodiac circle, the kumbh is depicted as Jayanta, the son of Indra, snatching a vessel of amrite during a battle between gods and asurs. He carefully holds a vessel with an amrite neck up, unlike our Aquarius, generously pouring moisture from a tilted jug.

Kumbha mela in Prayagraj

The city of Prayagraj (until 2018 Allahabad) is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Delhi is 612 km away and Mumbai is 1,502 km away.

For many centuries, the city was called Prayag, but in 1573, the Mughal king Akbar built a magnificent fortress at the confluence of three rivers and renamed the city Allahabad, the "city of Allah."

Prayag - the place of sacrifice of Brahma

The word "prayag" is usually called the place where grandiose sacrifices are held. There are fourteen prayags on the Ganges, and Prayag-raj, "king of all holy places" - is considered the most significant of them.

The Brahma Samhita tells how the god Brahma sought a place to conduct a great yagya (sacrifice). He opted for terrain surrounded by the waters of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. Subsequently, this place began to be called Prayag.

Prayaga region extends from Pratishthana (Jhansi) to two Nagas (Kambala and Ashvatara) and then to Bhogavati, Vasuki Lake. This area is the Vedi - the sacrificial altar of Brahma.

It was previously mentioned that a place called Pratishthana Pur or Jhansi is home to many holy ^[4].

The Mahabharata claims that Brahma sacrifices were carried out on the site of Dashashwamedha-ghat. Brahma made ten sacrifices of Ashvamedha, hence the name: "dasha" - ten, and "ashvamedha" - the sacrifice of a horse who was killed by strangulation at the end of the ceremony. The purpose of the rite is to master the space of the universe and the beginning of a new time cycle.

The "Mahabharata" (Vana-parva) states: "The area located between Ganges and Yamuna is considered the middle of the Earth. Prayag is a holy and fertile place, the most fertile area on Earth. Prayag is a madhya, the central of the five Vedis - the sacrificial altars of the Earth. The rest of the Vedis are Kurukshetra, Gaya, Viraja and Pushkara. "

Similar statements are also found in the Brahma Purana, Skanda Purana and Markandea Purana. The "Maha Bharata" states that Prayag is considered the most revered holy place in the universe. The god Brahma claimed: "Prayagasya to the right-hander to the popes nashianti tatkshanam" - "In Prayag, man gets rid of all sins." Prayag is also known as "Tirtharaj Prayag," which means "the holiest of all holy places."

In the "Vayu Purana," Prayag is compared to the nose of the personified Vedas, and the "Varaha Purana" describes it as follows: "In Prayag is Triveni (the confluence of three rivers, the" veni "is a braided braid by women), home to Lord Shiva, who bears the names Sulatanka and Someshvara. Gentlemen Vishnu are called Venumadhava there and it is there that Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati merge together. Having washed in this holy place, a person goes to heaven, and the one who dies there leaves the material world for ever. Prayag is the king of all tirths and he is very dear to Lord Vishnu. "

Tirtha in Sanskrit is a sacred place where there is a spring, pond, lake, river or sea, the waters of which are considered holy. The word tirtha in translation means "ford," "crossing," but it must be borne in mind that the Sanskrit root "three" (tṛ), from which this word is formed, also has the meaning of "escape" (in a religious sense).

Prayag is believed to be the birthplace of Soma, Varuna and Prajapati. In addition, at one time he was the abode of the great wise men of Mooney. Bharadwaja and Durvasa.

Triveni Sangam

In Prayagraj, a favorable place for swimming is in triveni or sangam, at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.

The popularity of Prayagraj and triveni is due to the belief in the special holiness of the waters at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna, with the belief that washing in these waters, as recorded in the Rigveda and Mahabharata, will cleanse the believer and his family of all committed sins and even crimes.

The veneration of trivia is also expressed in the fact that after the cremation, the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and many other state and political figures in India were dispelled precisely over trivia.

Belief in the Saraswati River and the Third Eye

According to tradition, the Sarasvati River is invisible to an ordinary person, because it flows underground. Studies by the Department of Geology of India have shown that there are no underground flows in the area. As an explanation for the stubborn faith of millions of Hindus in the existence of Sarasvati, the so-called theory of a different dimension was put forward. Her supporters believe Saraswati exists, but it flows in the fourth dimension. You can see Sarasvati, for this you need to activate the "third eye," which is considered to be a light-sensitive pineal gland in the occipital part of the human skull (in many Hindu gods, the third eye is depicted in the middle of the forehead, above the bridge of the nose). Referring to the traditions of ancient saints and sages who have achieved enlightenment and the ability to penetrate the essence of things, supporters of the "fourth dimension theory" argue that through long exercises and righteous life, one can achieve the activation of the mentioned gland and not only see Sarasvati, but also be able to read people's thoughts, predict events. However, even the legendary sages could "see" Sarasvati only once every 12 years, that is, during Kumbh ^[5]

According to modern scholars, a river called Sarasvati previously really existed and was one of the largest in the Vedic period. Most scholars identify the Saraswati River with the modern seasonal Ghaggar-Hakra River. For more information on the reasons for its disappearance, see the section "IV thousand BC: Culture of the Ghaggar-Hakra River" in the article History of India.

Astrological aspects

In accordance with the calculations made on the basis of the texts of the Rigveda, in 360 days the Sun passes through all 12 signs of the zodiac. Thus, once a year, the Sun enters the sign of Kozerog. This day is called Makara-sankranti, and is considered the beginning of the period most favorable for the administration of religious rituals and other spiritual activities. Unlike the Sun, Jupiter stays in each zodiac sign for one year. Therefore, he enters each sign only once every 12 years.

In Prayagraj, the Kumbha Mela is celebrated when the Sun and Moon coincide in the sign of Makar (Capricorn), and Jupiter is in the sign of Aries or Taurus. Once every twelve years, the Sun simultaneously enters as the sign of Kozerog, and Jupiter - as the sign of Aries. This period is called Kumbha-snana yoga, and it is at this time that Kumbha-mela is celebrated (only on the day of Amavasya (new moon) in the month of magha).

In principle, at this time Jupiter should be in the sign of Taurus, but since Jupiter's revolution around the Sun takes 11.86 years instead of twelve, sometimes the Kumbha Mela is noted at the time when Jupiter is in the sign of Aries. Based on astrological calculations, Jupiter passes one house in 84 years, so out of every seven Kumbh Chalk, six are celebrated once every 12 years, and the seventh is celebrated after 11 years.

According to the description voiced by Prabhupada, when certain planets line up in the form of a jug, the nectar of immortality from this jug spills on Triveni.

Ablution

In the Brahma Purana, the ablution in Prayag is described as follows: "Ablution in Prayag, performed in the month of magha, bestows a good equal to the good from the performance of many millions of sacrifices of ashvamedha." In the month of magha, when planets occupy a certain position, amrita from the milk ocean fills the waters of Triveni Sangam. Such moments are considered the most favorable for ablution, for they grant the spiritual ^[6]

During Kumbh Mela, it is recommended to perform the following kumbh-snana yoga or snana parva (ablution), timed to certain days:

1. Powsha Purnima (Full Moon).

2. Makara-sankranti (The day the Sun enters the sign of Kozerog).

3. Mauni Amawasya (New Moon).

4. Vasanta Panchami (Fifth Day of the Arriving Moon).

5. Magha Purnima (Full Moon and Total Lunar Eclipse).

6. Maha-Shiva-ratri (Lord Shiva Appearance Day).

Mauni Amavasya, Makara Sankranti and Vasanta Panchami - the days when various Akhars (religious directions) hold processions on elephants, on horses and camels, ending with general washing in the Ganges, Shakhisnana (royal washing) - a very colorful and attractive rite. Processions of sadhus from various akhars solemnly move towards the river with elephants and horses.

The procession is accompanied by reading mantras, singing and playing musical instruments. Mahanta (religious leaders) sit in palanquins fortified on the backs of elephants.

There is a strict sequence with which various akhars march to the waters of sacred rivers during the days of shahi-snana. By tradition, Nagas are the first to march on ablution, and the ritual ablution of Nagas attracts especially many pilgrims.

Prabhupada in 1971 said that sadhus who came to the holiday are not saints, although many of them were powerful yogis and crossed over in four hundred years. These yogis come to Mela from the most remote places in India, and at the end of the holiday they return to their secluded dwellings again.

He said: "I personally saw them washing themselves in seven sacred rivers as they enter the Ganges. They dive into the Ganges and surface in the Godavari River. Then they dive again, and pop up in the Krishna River, and so on. "

"Is it true that when they wash here, they gain liberation?" asked one of his students.

"Yes," Prabhupada replied, "it's true. They come here for the release of Lokanath ^[7]

Pilgrims who remain in Prayag for forty-one days and perform all the main sacred ablutions are awarded the honorary title of kalpavasi, participants of Kumbh Mela.

In his pamphlet "Kumbha-Mela," Swami Lokanath gives the story of Dina-bandhu prabhu, who attended the shahi-snana ceremony held in Allahabad in 1989:

"The 1989 Kumbha Mela began on Makara Sankranti day. The opening of the holiday was very magnificent, and all pilgrims are covered with real religious ecstasy. On the evening of January 13, the air temperature dropped to zero, but this annoying circumstance did not upset the pilgrims in the least. As soon as midnight fell, thousands of people entered the waters of sacred rivers. Dipping into the icy water, pilgrims exclaimed: "Bolo Ganga-mata ki jai!" (Glory to mother Ganga!). Coming out of the water, the cold-shaking pilgrims immediately wrapped themselves in wool blankets, while thousands of others rushed to their place. Continuously exclaiming, "Bolo Ganga-mata ki jai!," the pilgrims entered the sacred waters.

As the sun rose, we saw huge crowds of pilgrims slowly moving towards the sangam. In the center of a huge mass of people stood out a magnificent procession announcing the official beginning of Kumbh Mela. Orchestras played, jubilant people danced, colorful flags and banners were hoisted in the air.

The procession was led by the Nagas - the famous Indian nagie sadhus. Striving for liberation, these people rejected the world. In the hope of escaping the suffering that abounds in the material world, they indulge in penances, observing a vow of celibacy and poverty. Their only goal is mukti, liberation. Their hair is matted, their bodies are covered with ash, in the hands of tridents - a symbol of admirers of Shiva. With noise entering the water, they buzzed into the sinks and sang: "Jai jai Shivashankara! Jai Gangadevi!, "and then began splashing sacred water on each other, frolicking like children. Nagov is often referred to as Ganga's children.

Then the Vairags came to ablution, - traveling monks who devoted their lives to Lord Vishnu, the Keeper of the world. Each member of their community considers himself a servant of God, an integral part of the Supreme Being. It is believed that the Wairags reach a transcendent spiritual level, rejecting the inherent desire of materialists to enjoy, as well as abandoning the desire to merge with the impersonal aspect of the Absolute.

They were followed to the sacred waters by representatives of other religious sects - ascetics dressed in saffron clothes and bearing staves - symbols of renunciation of the world. India's centuries-old spiritual history took place before our eyes as the Nagas, Vairags, Shaivites, Shankarites, Ramanuji, Madhavas, Nimbarkas and Gaudis took turns to bathe in the Sangam.

The flow of sadhu was not interrupted for several hours. After that, the general washing of all pilgrims began.

Standing waist-deep in the water, pilgrims scooped up the water with their palms and then, following an ancient tradition, offered it to the sky. The boaters guided their pilgrim-crowded boats to a small shoal in the center of the sangam, which soon disappeared from view, filled with a huge crowd. "

Fort, Column With Ashoka Edicts, Patalpuri Underground Temple

Akbar built a fort on the ruins of a fortified city from the time of Ashoka. The city does not have such historical temple complexes as in Hardwar, Ujjain, Puri or Dwarka. Inside the fort (where the arsenal has been located since colonial times) there is a column with edicts of Ashoka and inscriptions of later rulers, including a message about the accession to the throne of another Mughal emperor - Aurangzeb (1658- 1707). Locals, following the example of the British, call this column "Cleopatra's needle."

The ancient underground Patalpuri temple is also located within the boundaries of the fort, known for its 46 statues of Hindu gods and the "imperishable stub" of the banyan tree. Temple attendants replace the stump every three years in the same way as Amarnath pandas regularly update the ice image of Shiva in the cave. The veneration of this stub is associated with the "eternal banyan tree" (akshayvat) growing on the banks of the Yamuna River. According to botany professor Shri Ranjan, this banyan is over 600 years old. Fanatics of faith, in order to achieve the shortest way of salvation, souls rushed from the branches of the tree and drowned in the waters of Yamuna.

Famous pilgrims

Krishna and his followers are believed to have visited Prayag. In Treta-south, Ramachandra, along with Lakshman and Sitadevi, lived repeatedly in the Bharadwaja Muni ashram near the confluence of three rivers. Prayag was the first city Rama visited, going to a fourteen-year exile from Ayodhya. Five Pandavas: Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva also stayed in Prayag. This is told in the "Mahabharata," in a chapter called "Vana-parva."

Before the battle of Kurukshetra, Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna, refused to participate in the battle of Pandavas and Kauravas and decided to visit all the holy places of India. Having visited Naimisharanya, where he killed Romakharshana, Balarama, following the course of the Sharayu River, arrived in Prayag.

In Prayag, Balarama washed himself in sacred waters and performed prescribed religious rituals.

It is known that the Buddha also made a pilgrimage to Prayag.

It is claimed that in preparation for the campaign to the East, Alexander the Great asked his mentor Aristotle what to send him from India. The philosopher replied: water from the Ganges and holy books of Hinduism.

There is evidence that Huang Tsang, a Chinese emperor who lived in the 7th century, visited Prayag. The emperor attended a meeting of traveling sadhus, sannyasi and famous Indian thinkers. Among other things, he watched with interest how offerings were made to the Buddha, the Sun, Shiva, Buddhist monks and Brahmans.

The Chinese traveler Xuan Jiang witnessed in 643 an episode of the trip of Harsha, the ruler of Northern India in 606-646, to Prayag to celebrate Kumbh Mela. The ruler was accompanied by 20 vassal kings and a caravan of elephants. The trivia gathered 500 thousand people from all over India. Harsha distributed to priests and pilgrims the wealth accumulated over the previous five years, and returned to his capital Kanauj in a borrowed loincloth.

Tradition attributes the origin of Kumbh Mela in its modern form to the turn-of-the-8th-9th century philosopher Shankara, who established regular meetings of ascetic scholars for debate.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, visited Prayag in the first third of the 16th century, heading from Jagannath Puri to Vrindavan. Chaitanya lived in the house of Vallabhacharya, where his meeting with one of his successors and close companions Rupa Goswami took place.

Returning back, he spent the entire month of magha in Prayag (January and February). This time, Chaitanya lived near Dashashvamedha-ghat - a place that is associated with the sacrifices of Brahma (see above).

The "Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata" recounts that Nityananda, the second of the founders of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, visited Prayag on his way to Mathura: "Arriving in Prayag in the month of magha, he washed himself at the confluence of rivers in the early cold morning and then continued on to Mathura, where in the past south he appeared in the guise of Balarama."

Advaita Acharya, one of Chaitanya's close companions, also stayed in Prayag on his way from Varanasi. Arriving there, he shaved his head, after which he washed himself in the waters of three sacred rivers. He then made an offering to His ancestors and continued on.

In 1894, Prayag was visited by the famous American writer Mark Twain.

Being a grihastha, Srila Prabhupada lived in Prayag for 13 years, and there in 1932 he received a dedication from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

Lahiri Mahasaya, the spiritual teacher of the famous yoga Paramahamsa Yogananda (who wrote "Autobiography of Yoga"), met his future guru - the legendary and immortal master of kriya yoga Mahavatar Babaji at Kumbha Mela.

Who participates in the festival

Every year in Prayag there is a holiday called Magha-mela, and once every 12 years Kumbha-mela is held there.

During Magha Mela, residents of nearby areas usually gather, and during Kumbha Mela pilgrims from all over India flock.

Participants in Kumbh Mela are members of all walks of religious life in Hinduism, ranging from sadhus (holy people) who remain naked or observe the most severe physical discipline all year round, to hermits who leave their privacy only for these pilgrimages, and even silk-clad teachers using the latest technology.

When sadhus pass for bathing, it is believed that around themselves they spread waves of shakti - the most powerful healing energy that they have accumulated over decades of their yogic practices.

Religious organizations represented range from social welfare societies to political lobbyists. Huge crowds of students, friends and spectators join individual ascetics and organizations.

The Naga Akhada, militant ascetic orders whose members previously earned a living as mercenary soldiers and traders, often claim the holiest places at the most favorable moment of each Kumbh Mela. Although the Indian government is currently enforcing the established bathing order, history is indicative of bloody disputes between groups vying for primacy.

History of the festival

2001: Kumbha Mela in Allahabad. The film of a participant from the USA

In 2001, Kumbh Mela was held in Allahabad. A participant in the festival from the USA edited a 30-minute film with the personnel of the chronicle.

1998: Kumbh Mela in Haridwar with 10 million participants. Film of Russians

In 1998, Kumbha Mela was held in Haridwar. Participants from Russia edited an amateur film with personnel of the chronicle of this festival.

1980:4 million pilgrims to Kumbh Mela in Ujjain. Arrest of 700 sadhus

In 1957 and 1969 up to 2 million pilgrims attended the celebration of Kumbh Mela in Ujjain; in 1980, their number exceeded 4 million.

During the Kumbh mela in Ujjain (April 1980), a dispute broke out between the sadhus of various sects over how many "royal ablutions" (shahi snan) should be - one or three. Shahi snan is a day on which only priests and sadhus can perform ablution. Ordinary pilgrims on this day are forbidden to approach the river. They can only observe the ritual.

A special committee of representatives of the state authorities and sadhu decided to allocate one day for "royal ablution," which corresponds to tradition, as well as the goal of providing more opportunities for the ritual to be performed by ordinary pilgrims. Contrary to this decision, one of the sects tried to spontaneously arrange shahi snan on the wrong day. For more than seven hours, the dispute between the authorities and these sadhus lasted. In the ensuing clash, 700 sadhus were arrested. The mounted police hardly put things in order among the other 30 thousand, raging "holy" people.

1977: Kumbha Mela in Allahabad

Authorities recommend not drinking water and lay temporary water supply

In January-February 1977, the great Kumbh mela was celebrated in Allahabad. It began on January 5, when the sun was in the constellation Kozerog. On these solemn days, the Health Minister of Uttar Pradesh, where Allahabad is located, urged all pilgrims not to drink water from the Ganges as it is contaminated with industrial waste. To satisfy the pilgrims' thirst for clean well water, the state authorities organized the laying of 125 km of temporary water pipes, which led to the envy of the indigenous Allahabadians, deprived of such communal convenience. Modernity inexorably invades the traditional ritual of the holiday. Pilgrims, for example, were allowed to the chalk site only upon presentation of a certificate of vaccinations against cholera and other infectious diseases.

For the holiday of 1977, the Uttar Pradesh authorities also prepared very carefully. Within two months, 2 thousand workers, using tractors and bulldozers, leveled the right sandy coast of Yamuna, built a tent city, installed lanterns and floodlights to illuminate the territory and places of washing. In addition to the stationary bridge over the Ganges, army sappers built 14 pedestrian and one motor transport pontoon bridge. Additional trains and up to a thousand buses were allocated to deliver pilgrims to the trivia. 200 divers have been mobilized to rescue drowning people and prevent ritual suicides.

Overall, the cost of holding the Kumbh Mela was around Rs 70 million, which is more than the funds required to hold parliamentary and Legislative Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in a few months.

Two years later, the Madhya Pradesh government requested Rs 100 million from the central government to hold the Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, but it was advised to halve the allocation for this purpose due to the universal economy of funds.

It is curious that six months after the Kumbh Mela, an investigation was launched against some members of the Allahabad municipality, accused of embezzling part of the funds allocated for the improvement of the city.

16 million pilgrims, bad weather and carnival

By the beginning of the holiday, 1.5 million people arrived to trivia. The most solemn and sacred was the day of January 19, when, according to Jagatguru Badrinath, the planets were located in exactly the same way as on the day a vessel with amrite appeared from the ocean.

On January 19, 1977, the number of pilgrims reached 13.3 million, and then began to gradually decline.

The phenomenon of kumbh mela (and other mass religious holidays in India) attracts the attention of researchers if only because of these imagination-striking figures. The spectacle of kumbh mela, writes an eyewitness, "breathtaking, mind-shaking, overwhelming feelings. There are no words in the dictionary to express it. This is all India in miniature! "

No one exactly calculated the total number of pilgrims who visited the chalk in all 40 days. According to authorities, there were 15-17 million of them.

More or less accurately known is the number of kalpavasi - devotees of the faith - half a million people. They spent all 40 days on chalk, performing daily ablutions, participating in mass prayers and religious discussions, performing all prescribed rituals from shaving the head to strict fasting.

On the days of the largest influx of pilgrims, the air temperature dropped to plus 4 degrees, and a strong wind blew. Contrary to the local weather bureau's summary, Allahabad was hit by a downpour on January 19. Yet every hour, one and a half million believers, replacing each other, bathed in the icy waters of the Ganges and dried out in the cold wind. Pilgrims were forced to endure other hardships and inconveniences crowding and cramped, lack of basic amenities, fasting, travel hardships and related costs, very significant for most participants in the holiday. In addition, they had to make offerings to numerous priests, pandas and various "holy" people.

Like every holiday, the kumbh mela contains an element of entertainment: acquaintance with new places and new people, participation in rituals, presence at noisy and colorful ceremonies. The organizers of the holiday took measures to create an appropriate atmosphere. To satisfy various tastes, singers and musicians, along with religious hymns, performed lyrical songs and hits from films. Most sects and orders employed orchestras; their repertoire included not only spiritual music, but also popular melodies, even Western military marches, including the famous Scottish march "Good Old Time," to which soldiers of the colonial army so often marched in the old days.

Groups of tents of each sect were decorated with colored flags and flashlights.

A special postage stamp was issued and special mailing was organized.

"The solemn atmosphere is intertwined with the atmosphere of the carnival," the eyewitness noted.

All India Radio regularly conducted a live report from the holiday, and television dedicated a three-hour program to it every day, bringing the mela atmosphere to the farthest corners of the country.

The participation of the authorities in the holiday also attracted the attention. On the eve of the mela, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on behalf of the state government gave a greeting to all pilgrims bound for Allahabad. Officials led by the state governor performed the bathing and other ritual acts in front of hundreds of thousands of worshippers. The case does not change the fact that after bathing in the sacred waters of trivia, the governor was present as a guest of honor at the very worldly and somewhat frivolous beauty contest "Miss Femina," which was held in the state capital Lucknow by the magazine "Femina" and advertising agencies.

The chance to see high-profile individuals on chalk serves as an additional attractive factor for visitors.

A religious holiday creates conditions for a temporary exit from the usual system of life, for oblivion, at least for a short time, of everyday hardships and worries. It serves as an outlet and a place of wider communication, usually strictly regulated in caste society. There is a community with a wide world, where, as it were, the circle of prohibitions consecrated by the same religion is torn apart. Kumbh mela becomes a memorable event for its participants, the theme of stories with family and neighbors, a reason for pride among fellow believers, wrote B.I. Klyuev.

Thus, a holiday like kumbh mela fills some of the needs of a person that are unattainable in the usual environment. At the festival, religion acts in its replenishing function, moreover, one of the contradictions of religion is manifested here: its replenishing function is more effective and complete, the more secular content is introduced into the religious holiday.

The noticeable increase in the number of participants in religious holidays and pilgrimages in India at this time is often also due to the increased geographical mobility of the country's population, improved means of communication, and an increase in the income of certain social groups, which allows allocating funds for travel. Yet Kumbh Mela is primarily a religious holiday, affecting primarily the religious feelings of the participants, strengthening these feelings. And it attracts participants mainly "the call of faith," recognized as a religious duty.

Sadhu, panda priests, abbots of monasteries

In addition to places of ritual ablutions, the functional centers of the holiday are priests of various sects known in the Hindu community, dressed in saffron-colored clothes or naked, covered with ash of burnt cow manure sadhu and, of course, local panda priests, indigenous people of Prayaga. For them, participation in Kumbh Mela is a professional duty, more precisely, work that allows you to increase the number of followers and admirers.

The Kumbh Mela of 1977 was attended by 80 thousand sadhus, abbots of Hindu ashram monasteries and temples, heads and members of sects and orders. For 40 days, gathering hundreds and thousands of believers around them, they read religious texts, explained their meaning, preached, sang religious hymns - bhajans and kirtans. It was an unparalleled campaign of direct influence on believers, reproduction of religious sentiments through personal contacts in an emotionally saturated atmosphere.

If priests and sadhus flock to trivia from all over India, then approximately 500 families of panda priests are the traditional institution of hereditary ministers of the cult, indispensable participants of each chalk in Allahabad. They have regular clients, and since time immemorial, a chronicle of their visit to trivia has been kept. These chronicles can be used to establish the pedigree of many customers. During mela, pandas sit on a plank platform, to which a flag with the symbol of a given panda is attached on a pole, usually traditional. There were, however, quite modern symbols - a steam locomotive, a transistor radio receiver, a rocket.

In addition to meeting religious needs, pandas arrange housing for their clients and supply them with food for a fee.

"Now religious worship for them is nothing more than a way to make money. What was once the ministry of religion became business.... Some pandas, it is claimed, have made so much money that they will have enough until the next kumbh mela. "

Since their welfare depends on the number of customers, there is fierce competition between pandas, often leading to clashes.

At the request of the priests, the Allahabad Supreme Court, by a special decision, established the sequence of their ablutions. Before the 1977 holiday, the state authorities held consultations with the heads of sects, during which the previously established sequence was confirmed in order to prevent the repetition of events in 1954.

Nevertheless, more than 9 thousand police officers were trained to maintain order and perform the functions of guide-translators among diverse crowds of pilgrims.

Chapters Of Four Temples Founded By Shankara Arrive At Kumbh Mela Simultaneously For First Time In 200 Years

Kumbh mela 1977 in Allahabad, was a significant event for another reason. For the first time in the last two centuries, the heads of the four temples founded by the religious philosopher and reformer of the ІKh century Shankara of the strongholds of Hinduism - Jagatguru Badrinath, Dvarka, Puri and Shringeri - arrived on Kumbh Mela at the same time. Although Shankara bequeathed them to meet every 12 years to discuss matters of faith, disputes, rivalries and claims to primacy overpowered the teacher's will. Only a manifestation of mass religiosity, an unprecedented influx of pilgrims created conditions in which the highest priests of Hinduism could no longer stay away from the holiday, could not avoid meeting.

But the event has not become a focal point. During its course, politics imperiously invaded. On the most solemn day of Kumbh Mela on January 19, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the President of India announced the dissolution of the People's Chamber of Parliament and the holding of early elections. This unexpected announcement gave the impression of a bombshell. It overshadowed all events, although reports of Kumbh mel continued to be published on the front pages of newspapers.

Indira Gandhi's visit and speech

Interest in the holiday flared with renewed vigor when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi arrived in Allahabad three days after the dissolution of the People's Chamber. In her honor, a special session of the Bharat Sadhu Samaj (All India Sadhu Society), an influential religious organization whose number of members exceeds 3 million, was convened at Kumbh Mela. Speaking at this session, the Prime Minister stressed that the principle of secularism championed by the Indian National Congress has nothing to do with irreligiosity and atheism. This principle is expressed in the ancient formula "sarva dharma sama bhava" ("equal respect for all religions"). At the same time, the Prime Minister called on the sadha to fight ignorance, bigotry and superstition. For their part, the Sadhu assured the Prime Minister of support for the programme put forward by her government and served the traditional rite of blessing. This event was regarded by political observers as the beginning of the election campaign.

Participation of Prabhupada and his Hare Krishna movement

For details of the 1977 stay of Srila Prabhupada and his American students at Kumbh Mel, see Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

1974: More than 3m pilgrims during Kumbh mela in Hardwar

During the 1974 Kumbh Mela, Hardwar received more than 3 million pilgrims.

1971: Prabhupada with Western disciples preaches on Arda Kumbh Mel in Allahabad

In 1971, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada with Western students preached the ideas of the Krishna Consciousness Society on Arda Kumbh Mel in Allahabad.

1954:300 pilgrims die in stampede after clash between sects over bathing primacy

During the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in 1954, there was a melee between members of various Hindu sects. The reason for the dispute is traditional: which of the sects will be the first to approach the river for washing. In the crush that arose during the clash, more than 300 pilgrims died.

Opposition between pilgrims and British colonisers over Sangam space in Allahabad

British colonial administration of religious holidays, or (Melami), was conjugate with duality. Melas were large, potentially dangerous congregations of devout Hindus, holy people, and Brahmin clergymen, which the British felt needed to be carefully monitored. Nevertheless, they believed that the local population would not tolerate their intervention, especially in matters related to religion. If this restriction were broken, British dominance would be in jeopardy. State intervention in the conduct of chalk in the 19th century is a history of experimental interaction, fluctuating benevolence ^[8]

In Allahabad (modern Prayagraj), one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Hindu geography, triveni (or Sangam - the confluence of three rivers, namely the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati) occupied the same place as the most strategically important node British military power in North India in the 19th century - Fort Allahabad.

Sangam (Ganges and Yamuna Mergers) and British Fort Location Map 1906, Kama McLean, 2003

These two claims to the same space serve as an excellent example of the confrontation between the ancient religious claims of Hindus and the need to ensure the safety of the colonizer on hostile and alien lands. They were forced to coexist, but for the British it was not easy coexistence of conflicting interests.

Following the example of Mughal rulers, the British were often forced to sacrifice the safety and integrity of Fort Allahabad to receive crowds of pilgrims and holy men, not only outside but also inside its walls. It was more problematic than it might seem at first glance. While the pilgrim was perceived as a typical villager in India, superstitious but easily influenced, British administrators suspected that "the mechanism of intrigue and subversion in India was a holy man" and that their gatherings during the pilgrimage provided opportunities for incitement that could undermine their power.

Other important participants in the mela were Brahmins or Pandits, known as Pragwals, who held services for pilgrims in trivia and whom the British disrespected.

In determining where administrative restrictions should be imposed, British officials did not cooperate with obvious religious elites such as the Sadhu (holy people) and the Pragwals, but listened to the opinions and approvals of ordinary pilgrims. In this scenario, the pilgrim, a simple, most likely prosperous villager who went to the chalk as a sign of faith, had more power than those whom he revered - the sadhus and Brahmins. This "pilgrim as a subject" and, much later, in the 20th century, "pilgrim as a citizen" is a distinctive feature of chalk management, showing who the British considered their target audience.

1844: Kumbh Mela in Haridwar

By J. M. W. Turner, 1850s engraving by Thomas Higham

1796: Sadhu sects fight for Kumbha - the right to control the proceeds of the fair

Before the arrival of the British East India Company, Kumbh - a quasi-religious combination of trade and fighting - was under the control of the Akhars, or sects of the Sadhu, and Kumbh Mela was a meeting place for the Sadhu. The character of Kumbha reflected the role of sadhus at the time: as is well known, sadhus were shrewd traders and skilled warriors. Thomas Hardwick, who came to the Haridwar Fair in 1796 to buy cattle, witnessed a battle between the Achars fighting for the right to be the first to bathe in the river and control Kumbha. James Lochtefeld suggested that much was at stake as the Akhars "not only led the police, resolved disputes and administered justice, but also collected lucrative taxes on pilgrims, animals and goods" brought into the fair.

From the story of Hardwick, Lochtefeld concluded that "the right of the Sanyasins to manage this fair stemmed solely from their ability to gain power over it."

It seems that the fair in Allahabad was held on the same principle as in Haridwar, and the same ahars claimed primacy.

Site of Kumbh Mela

• Kumbhmela.com

Literature

• Klyuev B.I. Kumbha Mela - Hindu holiday//Religion and social life in India. M., 1983
• Lokanatha Swami. Kumbha Mela. M., Philosophical Book, 2003

Notes