Triveni Sangam

Triveni Sangam:

As per popular Hindu belief Triveni Sangam is the “confluence” of three rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. Taking a bath at the holy Sangam is supposed to flush away all of your sins and liberates your soul you from the cycle of rebirth.

The Rivers:

The Yamuna flows to the south while the Ganges at the eastern edge of the city Allahabad. The cosmic waters maintain their exclusivity and distinctiveness at the godly Sangam where the actual confluence can be clearly seen whilst creating a beautiful effect. While the Yamuna is deep, calm, and green in color, the Ganges is shallow, forceful, and clear. Triveni Sangam is sacrosanct for Hindus thus a place of religious importance and the site for historic Kumbh Mela which is celebrated here in every 6, 12 and 144 years. Over the centuries it has also been the site of immersion of ashes of several distinguished people, including Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.

The Legends of Kumbh Mela:

The story of Kumbh Mela is 2000 years old. The first ever written evidence of the Kumbha Mela can be found in the accounts of Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang or Xuanzang who visited India in 629 – 645 CE, during the reign of King Harshavardhana.

On the word of prominent Hindu scriptures Kumbh Mela is attributed to the struggle between the gods and demons over the pot (kumbha) of amrita, the elixir of immortality produced from the joint churning of the milky ocean. In the course of the tussle, drops of the elixir fell on four different locations of the earth and during the festival it is believed that ritual bathing on these sites cleanses away the karma for many lifetimes giving pilgrims the chance to bathe in the essence of supreme purity, auspiciousness and utmost immortality.

The Kumbh Mela of Allahabad is one among the biggest human gatherings on the Earth and can also be seen from the satellite. An entire tent city is built for the occasion unlike other international events this city is designed to be erected, inhabited and dismantled just for the period of 2-3 months.                                 

The site Kumbha Nagri (city) has an estimated population which fluctuates between 3 million on normal days and 30 million on the festival’s principal dates. As per reports around 120 million people attended the Kumbh Mela of 2013 including 30 million on a single day on the event of Mauni Amavasya.

The epic fair is organized every three years on a rotation basis across four different locations of India which are: Allahabad a.k.a. Prayag, Nashik , Haridwar and Ujjain. The celebration of the festival depends upon the position of the planet Jupiter and the Sun.

The Timeline:

• Kumbha Mela is held at all the four places i.e. Prayag, Nashik, Haridwar and Ujjain in every 3 years.
• The Ardha Kumbha Mela is only held at Haridwar and Prayag in every 6 years.
• The Purna Kumbha Mela is only held at Prayag in every 12 years.
• The Maha Kumbha Mela is only held at Prayag in every 144 years.

Important days for sacred bath:

• Makar Sankranti 
• Paush Purnima 
• Mauni Amavasya 
• Basant Panchami 
• Maghi Purnima 
• Mahashivratri