{"id":3639,"date":"2021-02-02T08:39:39","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T08:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/?p=3639"},"modified":"2021-03-19T14:01:56","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T14:01:56","slug":"kumbha-mela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/?p=3639&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Kumbha Mela"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-2ded531 ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-columns ugb-columns ugb-752e713 ugb-columns--design-plain ugb-columns--columns-2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-columns__item ugb-752e713-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-column ugb-column ugb-81cfa72 ugb-column--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-81cfa72 > .ugb-inner-block > .ugb-block-content > *{justify-content:center !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-column__item ugb-81cfa72-column-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-column__content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-video-popup ugb-video-popup ugb-70b9d9c ugb-video-popup--v3 ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-70b9d9c .ugb-video-popup__wrapper{background-color:var(--theme-palette-color-3,rgba(35,33,38,0.5))}.ugb-70b9d9c .ugb-video-popup__wrapper:before{background-color:var(--theme-palette-color-3,rgba(35,33,38,0.5))}.ugb-70b9d9c .ugb-video-popup__wrapper:hover:before{opacity:0.2}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-video-popup__wrapper\" data-video=\"4WarrXr0UQg\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ugb-video-popup__overlay\" aria-label=\"Play\"><\/a><span class=\"ugb-video-popup__play-button\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 256 320\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"ugb-play-button-normal\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\"><path d=\"M0 0v320l256-160L0 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-column ugb-column ugb-9970bd6 ugb-column--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-9970bd6 > .ugb-inner-block > .ugb-block-content > *{justify-content:center !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-column__item ugb-9970bd6-column-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-column__content-wrapper\">\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">The meeting all of our senses, mind, consciousness, Atma and Jiva: that is Kumbha Mela. TheVessel (Kumbh) is our body. There is a constant battle inside of us between the Devas (divine qualities) and asuras (demonic qualities): what will prevail depends on us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">Paramhans Swami Maheshwaranada,<br>Zagreb, 22 June 2010, lecture about \u201cKumbha Mela\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-5f3aac4 ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-5f3aac4.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-8520815 ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-8520815 hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-e74b524 ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-e74b524.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-feature ugb-feature ugb-dba9bc2 ugb-feature--v2 ugb-feature--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__item\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__content\"><p class=\"ugb-feature__description\">Kumbha Mela is a mass pilgrimage on which millions of people participate. It takes place every 12 years, alternating in four different locations: Prajag (Illahabad), where the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati conjoin, Haridwar on the Ganges river, Ujjain on Kshipra river and Nasik on the river Godavari. Ardh Kumbh Mela takes place every six years in Haridwar and Prayag, whereas Poorna (complete) Kumbh Mela is always held in Prayag every 12 years. Maha Kumbh Mela (the Great Kumbh Mela) comes after every 12 Poorna Kumbh Melas (every 144 years) and is held also in Prayag (the last Maha Kumbh Mela was in 2001, it saw the participation of about 60 million people, making it the largest gathering of people in the world).<br><br>According to the ancient texts \u2013 the Puranas; devas and asuras (gods and demons) were churning the ocean to take out amrit (the nectar of immortality). After nearly destroying the world, they got the bowl of nectar, but then a terrible fight began about who would get the nectar. During that fight, Jayanta, the son of Indra, took kumbha amrita (the word kumbha means the vessel) and from it four drops fell to earth, in Prayag, Ujjain, Nasik and Haridwat. In search for this \u201cnectar of immortality\u201d (self-realisation and liberation), spiritual seekers visit these four places on which, at specific constellations, Melas are held (mela means gathering).<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ugb-feature__image-side\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"508\" height=\"700\" class=\"ugb-feature__image ugb-img wp-image-2480\" src=\"http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Sagar_Manthan.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Sagar_Manthan.jpg 508w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Sagar_Manthan-218x300.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 100vw, 508px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-e66b93d ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-e66b93d.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-90b05e6 ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-90b05e6 hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-2b26e9e ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-2b26e9e.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-heading ugb-heading ugb-e5c4401 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><h2 class=\"ugb-heading__title\">Ritual bathing and gathering of saints<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"aligncenter wp-block-ugb-image-box ugb-image-box ugb-a7777a5 ugb-image-box--v4 ugb-image-box--columns-1 ugb-image-box--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-a7777a5 .ugb-image-box__box{border-radius:0px !important}.ugb-a7777a5 .ugb-image-box__item1 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Untitled_Panorama14-1024x388.jpg)}.ugb-a7777a5 .ugb-image-box__image{background-position:center center !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-image-box__item ugb-image-box__item1 ugb-image-box__box ugb--shadow-0\"><div class=\"ugb-image-box__box ugb-image-box__image-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-image-box__box ugb-image-box__image\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ugb-image-box__content\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">Bathing in holy rivers during the Kumbha Mela is considered a very important part of the spiritual life of every person, because it brings the purity of body and soul, and leads to liberation. All sins are surrendered to Mother Ganga, who will purify them, and as a gift she is offered good deeds and prayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">Kumbh Melas are occasions where saints and enlightened masters have gathered for thousands of years. It is a unique opportunity to see in one place and at the same time many Mahatmas, Paramhansas, enlightened teachers, sadhus etc. It is said that every grain of sand on the Kumbha Mela carries immense blessings, because it was touched by the feet of the saints, and that the air that is being inhaled also carries blessings, because the wind brought it from the body of a saint. These are places where legends and stories do not feel distant and unattainable anymore, but become a part of everyday life, and traditions and religion merge into one, becoming that from which they emerged \u2013 Sat Sanatan Dharma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">For spiritual seekers, Kumbha Mela is the moment when the spiritual life gets another dimension \u2013 that of happiness and fulfilment, thus giving an incentive to continue their journey towards the goal which is Atma Gyana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-cd62b42 ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-1f1a632 ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-1f1a632 hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-e124c0e ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-e124c0e.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-feature ugb-feature ugb-f925da8 ugb-feature--v2 ugb-feature--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-f925da8 .ugb-img{width:700px;height:auto !important}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__item\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__content\"><h2 class=\"ugb-feature__title\">Haridvar<\/h2><p class=\"ugb-feature__description\">According to Hindu mythology, Haridwar is one of the seven holiest places, because it is believed that the gods in Haridwar left traces of their feet. Called also by the names of Mayapur, Gangadwar and Mokshadwar in ancient writings, Haridwar remains the most important place of pilgrimage for Hindus.<br>Haridwar lies at the foot of the Himalayan area Shivalik, and a legend says that Lord Shiva sent the Ganges to quench the thirst of people by spinning Her out of his bundled hair (bun). This is how she descended to the fields of Haridwar. From here Ganga continues towards east and south through Illahabad (Prayag), Varanasi, Patna and Calcutta all the way to the Ganga Sagar, where it merges with the ocean.<br>Throughout the entire year devotees and believers from around the world come to Haridwar for pilgrimage, performing pujas, prayers and ritual bathing. However what Haridwar is most known for are the Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh Mela, which are held every 12 years of the solar cycle. At that point in time millions of devotees and visitors dive into the most sacred river in India to achieve liberation. One of the most beautiful scenes during Kumbh Mela in Haridwar is the singing of Aarti (prayer) at Har ki Pauri ghat (ghats are the entrances\/walkways\/steps to the Ganges) with hundreds of participants and oil lamps floating down the Ganges.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ugb-feature__image-side\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"ugb-feature__image ugb-img wp-image-2518\" src=\"http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/haridvar.jpg\" alt=\"\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/haridvar.jpg 700w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/haridvar-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/haridvar-391x260.jpg 391w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-0daa47a ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-f5fd54f ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-f5fd54f hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-2a9491a ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-2a9491a.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-ugb-feature ugb-feature ugb-f509916 ugb-feature--v2 ugb-feature--design-plain ugb-feature--invert ugb-main-block ugb-main-block--inner-center ugb--has-block-background\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-f509916 .ugb-img{width:700px;height:auto !important}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block ugb-inner-block--center\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__item\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__content\"><h2 class=\"ugb-feature__title\">Prayag&nbsp;(Illahabad)<\/h2><p class=\"ugb-feature__description\">The original name of this town is Prayag, and even today it is called this by most of the Hindus. Prayag means a sacred place of connection of two or more rivers, an estuary. In Illahabad, all three sacred rivers of India merge together \u2013 Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati and this is considered to be the most sacred of all estuaries in India. Prayag is the second oldest city in India, and is also called Thirti Raj (the king of all places of pilgrimage).<br>The place where all three rivers meet is called Sangham (the unification) and it is the central point of pilgrimage. During Kumbha Mela, millions of people gather at the Sangham, which becomes a small city within a city. It is believed that the Ashram of a great saint \u2013 Bharadvaya, which hosted Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana during their exile, was located at Sangham.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ugb-feature__image-side\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"ugb-feature__image ugb-img wp-image-2529\" src=\"http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/prajag.jpg\" alt=\"\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/prajag.jpg 700w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/prajag-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/prajag-391x260.jpg 391w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-ff652db ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-c58d1a9 ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-c58d1a9 hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-97fd44c ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-97fd44c.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-ugb-feature ugb-feature ugb-5e7da61 ugb-feature--v2 ugb-feature--design-plain ugb-main-block ugb-main-block--inner-center ugb--has-block-background\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block ugb-inner-block--center\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__item\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__content\"><h2 class=\"ugb-feature__title\">Adi Shankar and his four disciples<\/h2><p class=\"ugb-feature__description\">Adi Shankar had four main disciples called Padampad, Hastamalak, Sureshwar and Trotak. He founded 4 peeths (a peeth literally means chair, here it has the meaning of lineage): Jyotir Math (math is a monastic order, a monastery) in the north, Shringeri Math in the south, Govardhan Math at Jagannath Puri in the east and Sarada Math in the west, and each of his four disciples were set as the leader of one of the maths.<br><br>The disciples of Hastamalak (Govardhan Math from Jagannath Puri) have \u201cVan\u201d and \u201cAranya\u201d written after their names. The students of Sureshwar (Jyotir Math, Badri Math) have added to their names \u201cGiri\u201d, \u201cParvat\u201d and \u201cSagar\u201d, and disciples of Trotak (Shringeri Math) write \u201cPuri\u201d, \u201cBharthi\u201d and \u201cSaraswati\u201d behind their names. In this way all sannyasis took one of these surnames, which gave rise to the institution Dasnami (the 10 names) among the sannyasis.<br><br>The Dasnami monks are divided into two categories, those who hold the scriptures \u2013 Shastradharis and those who hold weapons \u2013 Astradharis.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ugb-feature__image-side\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"483\" height=\"700\" class=\"ugb-feature__image ugb-img wp-image-2473\" src=\"http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Adi-Shankaracharya.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Adi-Shankaracharya.jpg 483w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Adi-Shankaracharya-207x300.jpg 207w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 483px) 100vw, 483px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-a3f9bee ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-c551613 ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-c551613 hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-0d9d08f ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-0d9d08f.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-ugb-feature ugb-feature ugb-6e7c208 ugb-feature--v2 ugb-feature--design-plain ugb-feature--invert ugb-main-block ugb-main-block--inner-center ugb--has-block-background\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-6e7c208 .ugb-img{width:700px;height:auto !important}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block ugb-inner-block--center\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__item\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__content\"><h2 class=\"ugb-feature__title\">History of the Origin of Akharas<\/h2><p class=\"ugb-feature__description\">During the invasion of Mahmud Gazuri, Mohammad Ghori and Taimur, thousands of Hindu temples were razed to the ground, and millions of Hindus were killed. Things were no better even when the Muslims ruled India.<br>Realising the dangers of oppression and persecution of the followers of Sanatan Dharma by the fanatics and aggressors of other religions, Adi Shankara realized that spiritual power alone is not enough. He wanted younger sadhus to gain muscle strength through physical exercises, and to gain proficiency in the use of weapons. The maths where they practised such skills have become known as \u201cakharas\u201d (literally: a wrestling place).<br><\/p><\/div><div class=\"ugb-feature__image-side\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"ugb-feature__image ugb-img wp-image-3389\" src=\"http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/DSC1319.jpg\" alt=\"\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/DSC1319.jpg 700w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/DSC1319-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/DSC1319-391x260.jpg 391w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">Adi Shankara advised akharas to resist by force, if necessary, the persecution of Hindus and desecration of their sanctuaries. During the Muslim invasion and the Muslim rule, these akharas were the barrier against attacks on Hindu people, their shrines and institutions. Many times armed members of the akharas bravely resisted the persecution of Hindus and desecration of temples. Rulers often sought the help of the Naga soldiers in their wars. They famously fought many battles and a huge power of akharas reached up to 40,000 people. After India\u2019s independence, akharas lost their military character, and their saints strongly dedicated themselves to preaching and propagating the eternal values of the ancient Indian culture and philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-3b4ad67 ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-d31790d ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-d31790d hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-c89cb33 ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-c89cb33.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" data-block-type=\"core\">13 Akharas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">There are 13&nbsp;<em>akharas<\/em>&nbsp;in Haridwar and each of them, under the guidance of highly revered saints, has numerous&nbsp;<em>Mahamandaleshwars<\/em>. Most of them have their own ashrams and disciples even outside Haridwar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">&nbsp;<strong>Atal Akhara<\/strong>, the oldest one, was established in 646 in Gondvana. That&nbsp;<em>akhara<\/em>&nbsp;was revitalized in 1704, and its headquarters is in Patan, though there is an ashram in Kankhal as well. The current head of the&nbsp;<em>akhara<\/em>&nbsp;is Acharya Sri Mahamandaleshwar Mangalanand Giri.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\"><strong>Maha Nirvani Akhara<\/strong>&nbsp;is an offspring of Atal Akhara. After being denied the Gajanandaji\u2019s Prashad (blessed food), the seven&nbsp;<em>sadhus<\/em>&nbsp;of Atal Akhara went away and started doing&nbsp;<em>tapasya<\/em>&nbsp;(austerities) at Gangasagar. They had&nbsp;<em>darshan<\/em>&nbsp;(divine appearance) of&nbsp;<strong>Kapil Muni<\/strong>&nbsp;and with his blessings they found this&nbsp;<em>akhara<\/em>&nbsp;in the year 748 near Neel Dhara in Haridwar. In 1260, 22,000&nbsp;<em>naga<\/em>&nbsp;saints under the leadership of their spirited leader Mahanta Bhavanand Giri, liberated Kankhal of Muslim invaders. The present&nbsp;<em>akhara<\/em>&nbsp;is at the exact place where they set up their first flag. This&nbsp;<em>akhara<\/em>&nbsp;owns the Daksheswar temple, and its present head is Acharya Sri Mahamandaleshwar Vishwadevanand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\"><strong>Avahan Akhara<\/strong>&nbsp;was founded in 646 and reorganised in 1603. The headquarters of this&nbsp;<em>akhara<\/em>&nbsp;is Dasamegh Ghat in Varanasi (Benares). It also has an&nbsp;<em>ashram<\/em>&nbsp;in Rishikesh. Famous warriors from this&nbsp;<em>akhara<\/em>&nbsp;were Swami Anupgiri and Umrao Giri. The present&nbsp;<em>acharya<\/em>&nbsp;is Sri Swami Mahamandaleshwar Shivendra Puri.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\"><strong>Anand Akhara<\/strong>&nbsp;was founded in Berar (in Madhya Pradesh state) in 855, and its main centre is in Varanasi, though it has ashrams also in Haridwar. Its&nbsp;<em>acharya<\/em>&nbsp;is Mahamandaleshwar Devanand Saraswati.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\"><strong>Niranjani Akhara<\/strong>&nbsp;was founded in Mandva (Gujarat) in 903. Its main center is Daranganj, Allahabad. They have a beautiful ashram at Dam Kothi in Haridwar. Mansadevi and Vilvakesar temples of Haridwar belong to this&nbsp;<em>akhara<\/em>. The present&nbsp;<em>acharya<\/em>&nbsp;is Sri Mahamandaleshwar Punyanand Giri.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\"><strong>Juna Akhara<\/strong>&nbsp;is also called Bhairav Akhara. It was established in 1145 AD in Karan Prayag, Uttarkhand. Its main centre is Mara Hanuman Ghat in Varanasi, and its ashram in Haridwar is near the Mayadevi temple. Its&nbsp;<em>acharya<\/em>&nbsp;is Sri Mahamandaleshwar Lokeshanand Giri.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\"><strong>Agni Akhara<\/strong>&nbsp;was founded in 1136 AD and its&nbsp;<em>acharya<\/em>&nbsp;is Sri Mahamandaleshwar Swami Prakashanand Maharaj.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">The above 7&nbsp;<em>akharas<\/em>&nbsp;originate from the&nbsp;<em>naga<\/em>&nbsp;saints. In addition, there are two&nbsp;<em>akharas<\/em>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<em>Udasin Sampradaya<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Bara Udasin Akhara&nbsp;<\/strong>and<strong>&nbsp;Udasin Naya Akhara,<\/strong>&nbsp;one&nbsp;<strong>Nirmal Akhara<\/strong>&nbsp;and three Vaishnava Bhairagi Sampradaya&nbsp;<em>akharas<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Digambar Ani Akhara, Panch Ani Akhara and Nirmohi Ani<\/strong><br><strong>Akhara.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-70b56dd ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-24103ee ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-24103ee hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-f4ee55c ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-f4ee55c.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-ugb-feature ugb-feature ugb-a50d1aa ugb-feature--v2 ugb-feature--design-plain ugb-main-block ugb-main-block--inner-center ugb--has-block-background\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block ugb-inner-block--center\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__item\"><div class=\"ugb-feature__content\"><h2 class=\"ugb-feature__title\">Shahi Snan<\/h2><p class=\"ugb-feature__description\">On the occasion of Shahi Snan (royal bath) of Maha Kumbha Mela mahamandaleshwars, mahants, acharyas and the heads of all the 13 akharas participate in the beautifully decorated procession to the place of bathing.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ugb-feature__image-side\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"416\" class=\"ugb-feature__image ugb-img wp-image-2543\" src=\"http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/dsc0298.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/dsc0298.jpg 624w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/dsc0298-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/dsc0298-391x260.jpg 391w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-55f4bd7 ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider ugb-f4d2db8 ugb-divider--v2 ugb-divider--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-f4d2db8 hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><hr class=\"ugb-divider__hr\"\/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-04814be ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-04814be.ugb-spacer{height:50px}}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" data-block-type=\"core\">The Initiation into Mahamandaleshwar in Allahabad During the Kumbh Mela 2013<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-columns ugb-columns ugb-0c74987 ugb-columns--design-plain ugb-columns--columns-2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-columns__item ugb-0c74987-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-column ugb-column ugb-8e54704 ugb-column--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-column__item ugb-8e54704-column-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-column__content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-video-popup ugb-video-popup ugb-8121a82 ugb-video-popup--v3 ugb-main-block\"><style>.ugb-8121a82 .ugb-video-popup__wrapper{background-color:var(--theme-palette-color-3,rgba(35,33,38,0.5));background-image:url(http:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/sanjasdiks\u030ca.jpg)}.ugb-8121a82 .ugb-video-popup__wrapper:before{background-color:var(--theme-palette-color-3,rgba(35,33,38,0.5));opacity:0.5}.ugb-8121a82 .ugb-video-popup__wrapper:hover:before{opacity:0.2}<\/style><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-video-popup__wrapper ugb--has-background-overlay\" data-video=\"LubM84VlM2Y\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ugb-video-popup__overlay\" aria-label=\"Play\"><\/a><span class=\"ugb-video-popup__play-button\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 256 320\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"ugb-play-button-normal\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\"><path d=\"M0 0v320l256-160L0 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-column ugb-column ugb-eeb2505 ugb-column--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-column__item ugb-eeb2505-column-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-column__content-wrapper\">\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">On Wednesday 13<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;February 2013 in Priyag Raj (Allahabad) in India, where more than 140 million people bathed at the intersection of the three holy rivers \u2013 Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati, two Croats became&nbsp;<em>mahamandaleshwars<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">&nbsp;At the Kumbha Mela, through this highest initiation into&nbsp;<em>mahamandaleshwars<\/em>, the leaders of the Hindu monasteries expressed a great, and for a foreigner, extremely rare honour to these two Croats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">&nbsp;This title is equivalent to the title of archbishop in Christianity. The new<em>&nbsp;mahamandaleshwars<\/em>&nbsp;are Mahamandaleshwar Gyaneshwar Swami Puri and Mahamandaleshwar Swami Vivek Puri who studied Indian mythology, history, spirituality and Sanskrit language. Mahamandaleshwar Swami Vivek Puri is also the president of the Hindu religious community of Croatia.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-spacer ugb-spacer ugb-aaf5128 ugb-spacer--v2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-spacer--inner\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The meeting all of our senses, mind, consciousness, Atma and Jiva: that is Kumbha Mela. TheVessel (Kumbh) is our body. There is a constant battle inside of us between the Devas (divine qualities) and asuras (demonic qualities): what will prevail depends on us. Paramhans Swami Maheshwaranada,Zagreb, 22 June 2010, lecture about \u201cKumbha Mela\u201d Kumbha Mela [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[134],"tags":[98],"class_list":["post-3639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hinduism","tag-hinduizam-en"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2.jpg",1511,850,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"thumblist":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"meccarouselthumb":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-474x324.jpg",474,324,true],"gridsquare":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-391x260.jpg",391,260,true],"tileview":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2.jpg",1511,850,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2.jpg",1511,850,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable":"<p>The meeting all of our senses, mind, consciousness, Atma and Jiva: that is Kumbha Mela. TheVessel (Kumbh) is our body. There is a constant battle inside of us between the Devas (divine qualities) and asuras (demonic qualities): what will prevail depends on us. Paramhans Swami Maheshwaranada,Zagreb, 22 June 2010, lecture about \u201cKumbha Mela\u201d Kumbha Mela is a mass pilgrimage on which millions of people participate. It takes place every 12 years, alternating in four different locations: Prajag (Illahabad), where the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati conjoin, Haridwar on the Ganges river, Ujjain on Kshipra river and Nasik on the river&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list":"<a href=\"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/?cat=134&#038;lang=en\" rel=\"category\">Hinduism<\/a>","author_info":{"name":"Swami Vivek Puri","url":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/?author=1"},"comments_num":"0 comments","featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2.jpg",1511,850,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"thumblist":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"meccarouselthumb":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-474x324.jpg",474,324,true],"gridsquare":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-391x260.jpg",391,260,true],"tileview":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2.jpg",1511,850,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Kumbh-Mela-Swachhta-Doot-2.jpg",1511,850,false]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"<p>The meeting all of our senses, mind, consciousness, Atma and Jiva: that is Kumbha Mela. TheVessel (Kumbh) is our body. There is a constant battle inside of us between the Devas (divine qualities) and asuras (demonic qualities): what will prevail depends on us. Paramhans Swami Maheshwaranada,Zagreb, 22 June 2010, lecture about \u201cKumbha Mela\u201d Kumbha Mela is a mass pilgrimage on which millions of people participate. It takes place every 12 years, alternating in four different locations: Prajag (Illahabad), where the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati conjoin, Haridwar on the Ganges river, Ujjain on Kshipra river and Nasik on the river&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"<a href=\"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/?cat=134&#038;lang=en\" rel=\"category\">Hinduism<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Swami Vivek Puri","url":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/?author=1"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3639"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3639"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3644,"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3639\/revisions\/3644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanatankultura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}