ALLAHABAD, India, Jan 13, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Hindu devotees began gathering
Sunday in northern India for the world’s largest religious festival, with
millions of pilgrims travelling to bathe in holy rivers for the spectacular
Kumbh Mela.
State authorities in Uttar Pradesh are expecting 12 million visitors to
descend on Allahabad for the centuries-old festival, which officially begins
Tuesday and continues until early March.
The ancient city rises alongside the banks of the Ganges, Yamuna and
mythical Saraswati rivers, and the meeting point of the three is considered
highly sacred in Hinduism.
Hindus believe bathing there during the Kumbh helps cleanse sins and frees
the soul from the cycle of death and rebirth.
Two days before the gigantic bathing ritual begins, naked holy men
wandered the banks smeared in ash, offering blessings for devotees.
“We help devotees get rid of their pains and troubles through our
blessings, sacred ash, yoga, knowledge and wisdom,” said Prahlad Puri, a holy
man with his long knotted hair tied in a bun.
“We distribute food, we serve the poor.”
According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a war over a sacred
pitcher, or kumbh, containing the nectar of immortality.
During the tussle, a few drops fell to earth at four different locations –
– one being Allahabad.
The historic city was recently renamed Prayagraj by the state’s
conservative Hindu government but is still widely known by Allahabad, the
name it was given by Muslim rulers hundreds of years ago.
The Mela, which runs until March 4, was recognised as an intangible
cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2017.