Ujjain mahakubh 2016

This festival will start on 22nd of April and will end on 21st of May 2016.

The Kumbh Mela is the most significant and eventful festival for Hindus, which is held every three years. The four important pilgrim centers which host it are Ujjain, Allahabad, Nashik and Haridwar. It is a pious and sacred festival for the Hindus in India.

Ujjain is situated near the river Shipra and it is considered as one of the most sacred places of India. During the Kumbh Mela, millions of devotees flock to Ujjain to take a holy dip and worship the river

Shipra. The sadhus from all parts of India come to Ujjain to attend the Kumbh in order to attain liberation and salvation. Ujjain is also the place where Maharishi Sandipani had taught Lord Krishna, along with Sudama and Balarama.

When Guru(Jupiter) and the Sun are in the zodiac sign Scorpio(Vrishchik Rashi), it is celebrated at Ujjain. The Ujjain Kumbh Mela is referred to as the ‘Simhastha Kumbha Mela’. It is a totally different experience when devotees and sadhus come together and go ahead for the shahi snan – a dip in the sacred river Shipra, which is believed to get rid of all sins of a person. After taking a dip in river Shipra, all pilgrims visit the temple and bow before the Lord and they echo the name of the lord (Mahakalesvara). The next Simhastha Kumbha Mela will be held in Ujjain in 2016

The unique feature of the Simhastha Kumbha or the Simhastha Parva is the coming together of ten events, which are-

The Purnima (Full moon day)The month of BaisakhaThe bright fortnightThe brihaspati (Jupitor) in LeoThe sun in the arise (Mesha Rasi)The vyatipata yogaThe moon in the libra (Tula rasi)The holy Ksetra Avantika andThe pious Monday

There is an ancient banyan tree in Ujjain – Siddhawat which is believed to possess exemplary spiritual powers and many devotees and sages worship it and meditate under it. The city has also been home to great rulers such as King Chandragupta II and legendary scholars including Bhaskaracharya, Brahmagupta and Kalidasa.

History of simhastha

Kumbh derives its name from the immortal Pot of Nectar, which the Devtas (Demigods) and Asuras (Demons) fought over, described inancient Vedic scriptures known as the Puranas. It is these Vedic literatures that have stood the test of time, out of which the tradition has evolved into the one that the world now knows as The Kumbh Mela. Legend tells a tale from the bygone days of the universe when the devtas and the asuras conjointly produced the nectar of immortality. The devtas, because cursed, were crippled of fear that eventually made them weak. The task being too sturdy for them alone, the devtas made a mutual agreement with the asuras to complete it in full and share the nectar of immortality in half. It is said that the devtas and the asuras assembled on the shore of the milk ocean that lies in the celestial region of the cosmos. And it began!

For the task of churning the milk ocean, the Mandara Mountain was used as the churning rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the rope for churning.With the devtas at Vasuki’s tail and the asuras at his head, the churning began. At first, the churning of the milk ocean produced a deadly poison which Lord Shiva drank without being affected. As Lord Shiva drank the poison, a few drops fell from his hands which were licked by scorpions, snakes, and similar other deadly creatures. Also, during the churning, the Mandara Mountain began to sink deep into the ocean, seeing which Lord Vishnu incarnated as a great tortoise and supported the mountain on His back. Finally, many hurdles and 1000 years later, Dhanwantari appeared with the Kumbh of immortal nectar in his hands. The devtas, being fearful of the asuras' ill intent, forcibly seized the pot with its safety entrusted onto the four Gods - Brahaspati, Surya, Shani, and Chandra.

Asuras, after learning that their part of the agreement has not been kept, went after the devtas and for 12 days and 12 nights, the chase continued. Wherever the devtas went with the pot of nectar, fierce fighting ensued. It is believed thatduring this chase, a few drops from the Kumbh fell at four places - Allahabad,Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik. There is also a prevalent legend that it was actually the asuras that were being chased by the devtas for 12 days and 12 nights, during which the drops of elixir of immortality fell at these four places. These four places are since believed to have acquired mystical powers. Because 12 days of Gods are equivalent to 12 years for humans; the Kumbh Mela is celebrated once every 12 years in each of the four places - banks of river Godavari in Nasik, river Kshipra in Ujjain, river Ganges in Haridwar, and at the Sangam of Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati in Allahabad, where the drops are believed to have fallen. Millions of devout, come together to partake in ritualistic bathing and ceremonies to cleanse themselves of all sins.

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