JOIN USPeople cleanse sin on Pusha Purnima
Over seven million devotees from different parts of the country and abroad took a dip in the holy sangam in Allahabad on Paush Purnima on Sunday marking the beginning of the month-long kalpavaas.
The Sangam is the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers.
The devotees had started arriving the sangam bank since Saturday night and the bathing began before the dawn. Though Puash Purnima is not a shahi snan yet the devotees had gathered in large numbers at Mahakumbh for taking the holy dip.
Stung by the Friday’s incident of fire in which around two dozen people including women and children were injured, the authorities deployed a large number of security personnel in the area to make sure no untoward incident takes place..
The bright sunshine only added to the influx of devotees at the sangam, said an official.
Lakhs of kalpavaasis that included old men and women will be staying at small tents near the sangam for a month. They will take bath at the sangam thrice daily and eat only once in a day.
According to the hindu mythology, kalpavaas is considered to be pious and a person who undertakes it, will be reborn as a king.
“It is basically cleansing of the soul and doing penance for one’s sins of the previous birth,” said a Lucknow-based pandit Upendra Dixit. Kalpavaas had evinced a lot of interest among the domestic and foreign researchers. According to the studies, it helps energise the mind and body.
Kalpavaas takes place on the bank of the sangam every year during the hindu month of maagh.
The 55-day long congregation during which as many as six shahi snans will take place.
The next royal bath is scheduled for mauni amavasya on February 10 followed by basant panchami on February 15. Other days for bathing at the Mahakumbh are maghi purinma on February 25 and maha shivratri on March 10.