Ganges River Bath is Holy Spiritual Ceremony

THE devotion, respect and faith shown by the thousands of people who dipped in the Ganges river at the start of the Kumbh Mela festival was astonishing.

The chilly weather and freezing water on Jan 14 – the first day of the three-month long festival in Haridwar, India – did not deter them from performing the bathing ritual. Kumbh Mela offers pilgrims a chance to wash away their sins and stop the karmic cycle of life and rebirth.

I joined the crowd to experience spiritual awakening and it was an incredible journey of sight, sound and emotions. Men and women, young and old, braved the weather and performed brief ceremonies for their families and ancestors before taking the ritual bath.

Many placed flowers and oil lamps into the waters and there was always the strong aroma of burning incense. Pilgrims sang mantras and devotional hymns like Ganga Mata Ki Jai (Victory to Mother Ganga) as they dipped themselves into the river three times.

Some even shaved their heads bald to “remove their ego’’ before the ceremonial bath.

There was no rushing, pushing or shoving. Everyone conducted themselves with discipline in order to show respect for the river.

We were at the point where the glaciers from the Himalayas spill into the Ganges and the strong tide moves swiftly and prevents people from swimming.

Despite the millions who dipped themselves in its waters in the first few days of the festival, the Ganges remained free from rubbish, debris and pollution.

My feet cramped when I stepped into the freezing -2°C water at sunset after the Ganga Aarti, a daily evening-time ceremony conducted to show reverence to the river.

Rituals such as this are commonplace during the festival, and prayers are offered by devotees and spiritual leaders all along the 2,510km river, which is dotted with small and big places of worship.

In a meditative state, I cupped my hands and scooped some water from the river and drank it. It tasted like chilled bottled water.

A devotee beside me who wore slippers to get into the cold waters was stopped immediately by others and was reminded that the had to remove them as it was a sacred site.

According to devotees, mixing even a small quantity of water from the river with ordinary water makes it “Ganges water”, and it will offer healing properties.

For Hindus, Ganges water has the power to cleanse bathers from sins when the bath is performed on an auspicious day. Every major Hindu ritual involves the use of holy water from the Ganges and the river is also a popular spot for scattering the ashes of the dead.

Besides the river’s holy and mystical attributes, the other attraction at this auspicious festival is the opportunity to seek blessings from the thousands of monks, spiritual gurus, saints and masters who attend the event.

The Naga Babas, better known as Naga sadhu (holy men), are especially sought after as this is the only time they emerge from their remote dwelling places around India.

Naga sadhus renounce all earthly pleasures in their attempt to attain spiritual enlightenment. While these hermits usually shun all contact with the outside world, at this festival, they are quite hospitable.

I met one seated beside a fireplace under a tree at the riverbank and sought his darshan (blessings) by bowing my head and he placed some holy ash on my forehead.

For devotees, receiving darshan is a way of tapping into the divine energy of such spiritual leaders. They are regarded as representatives of the gods and are highly respected.

I returned from my trip feeling lighter and blissful, and was immediately filled with a yearning to return to the Ganges river before the Kumbh Mela ends on April 28.

The next grand Maha Kumbh Mela will be in January 2013 in Allahabad and it is expected to attract over 100 million people.

Vasthu talk

The columnist will present a talk on the astrological forecast for 2010 and how to attract positive energy into a house for peace and prosperity following Vasthu Sastra on Feb 25 at 6pm at KTAR Learning Centre, Wisma MCA, ground floor, No. 163, Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur.

Admission is free; to register call 012-329 9713.
Senior News Editor T. Selva has spent years researching and writing about the ancient Indian science of construction, better known as ‘Indian feng shui’. He is the first disciple of 7th generation Vasthu Sastra Master Yuvaraj Sowma from Chennai, India.

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