This Ardh Kumbh of Prayagraj is Truly Exceptional

"चतुर: कुंभाश्चतुर्धा ददामि" ("I bestow the four Kumbhas in fourfold manner")—The supreme and ultimate goal of human life is the attainment of amritatva (immortality). Since time immemorial, man, estranged from immortality, has been striving ceaselessly in its quest. From the Puranic account of the Devasura Sangrama (war between gods and demons) and the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) for securing amrita (nectar of immortality), it is evident that Bhagavan Himself assumed the form of Mohini and served the amrita to the devas possessing divine nature. Commemorating the manifestation of the Amrita-Kumbha (pitcher of nectar), the festival is celebrated every twelve years in Bharatavarsha at Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik, and Prayag. Propounding the mahatmya (glory and efficacy) of the Kumbha Parva, it has been proclaimed: A man who attends the Kumbha Parva destroys his sins through the fruit of righteous acts like dana (sacred charity) and homa (fire offerings), just as an axe fells a forest. Overwhelmed by this sublime majesty of the Kumbha Parva, virtually all followers of dharma, cherishing their faith within their hearts and yearning for immortality, arrive at those respective sacred sites. Seekers of that infinite, unmanifest amrita continue to converge at the Kumbha. Ardhakumbha

।। Prayag Kumbh ।।

"जो कहि सकइ प्रयाग प्रभाऊ, कलुष पुंज कुंजर मृगराऊ।।"
("Who can recount the majesty of Prayag? It is a lion unto the elephant of accumulated sins.") Prayag is hailed as Tirtharaja (king of holy pilgrimage sites). He is the sovereign of all tirthas. The seven puris (sacred cities) are said to be his queens. The currents of the Ganga and Yamuna divide the entire territory of Prayag into three realms. These three divisions are regarded as sacrificial altars embodied as Agni. Among them, the region between the Ganga and Yamuna is considered the Garhapatyagni (sacred household fire), while the region across the Ganga (Alarkapur-Arail) is regarded as the Dakshinagni (southern sacred fire). Residing purified for a night in each of these parts yields the fruit of worshipping these consecrated fires. The entire Vedic literature is replete with the mahatmya of Prayag.

The Padma Purana proclaims—
ग्रहाणां च यथा सूर्यो नक्षत्राणां यथा शशी।
तीर्थानामुत्तमं तीर्थं प्रयागाख्यमनुत्तमम्।।
Just as the Sun is among planets and the Moon among constellations, so is the supreme tirtha named Prayag paramount among all sacred sites.

यत्र वटस्याक्षयस्य दर्शनं कुरूते नर:।
तेन दर्शनमात्रेण ब्रह्महत्या विनश्यति।।
The man who beholds the Akshayavata (indestructible banyan tree) here, by that mere darshana (sacred viewing) alone, the sin of brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmana) is annihilated.

।। Ardhakumbha 2019 ।।

With the uninterrupted eastward course of the currents of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, every devotee arriving at the banks of the Sangam will experience the boundless grace of the Mother. The life-giving Mother Ganga is altering her course to bless the tens of millions of pilgrims assembling for the divine and grand Kumbha. After years, upon the sands of the Sangam, the stream of Mother Ganga has turned Purvavahini (eastward-flowing). According to religious authorities, the eastward flow of the Ganga is considered an exceptionally auspicious portent. During this period, those who perform snana (ritual bath), darshana, and pujana (worship) in the Ganga attain the benefit of extraordinary punya (spiritual merit). Ardhakumbha

According to sacred traditions, Mother Ganga turning toward the east has multiplied the opportunities for attaining punya manifold. Concurrently, this is also a highly auspicious sign for the administration engaged in Kumbha preparations. With Mother Ganga flowing eastward, a vast open area will become available at the Sangam Nose. In addition to administrative preparations, this will also provide extra space for pilgrims. Ardhakumbha

The major snana mahaparvas are falling on Mondays: all prominent ritual bathing festivals during the Kumbha occur on Mondays. This too is an auspicious yoga (astrological alignment). Jyotishacharya (master of jyotisha) Pt. Rammilan explained that the Ganga’s eastward journey signifies abhyudaya (elevation and prosperity). Just as being eastward-flowing is auspicious and bliss-bestowing, so is the darshana of the Ganga. Ritual bathing in the Ganga during the Kumbha will confer the fortune of boundless punya, enhancing the nation’s prestige across the world. This manifestation of Ganga, the purifier of the fallen, is historic. Ardhakumbha

Taking a Dip Will Confer Boundless Punya

According to Jyotishacharya Pt. Rammilan, Mother Ganga has turned eastward during the Kumbha after many years. Prior to this, the Ganga’s direction was toward the west, but in the forthcoming Kumbha, the eastward orientation of the Trigunatmika Shakti (the primal energy embodying the three gunas)—Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati—will fortify the country's economic, social, educational, religious, and political state. Those who take a complete dip in the sacred stream of the Ganga will attain auspicious fruits of merit.

 - Anurag Tiwari, Prayagraj

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