Posted on 02/05/2025 5:37:22 AM PST by Cronos
As many as 400 million Hindu pilgrims are expected to visit Prayagraj, India, during this year’s 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela festival. Held every 12 years at one of four places in India, the Kumbh Mela is considered to be an especially auspicious time to bathe in the Triveni Sangam—the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers—for purification from sin.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
The first page of Prayag Snana Vidhi manuscript (Sanskrit, Devanagari script). It describes methods to complete a bathing pilgrimage at Prayag. The manuscript (1674 CE) has a colophon, which states "Copied by Sarvottama, son of Vishvanatha Bhatta, Samvat 1752".[46] Hindu mythology describes the creation of a "pot of amrita (nectar of immortality)" after the forces of good and evil churn the ocean of creation. The gods and demons fight over this pot, the "kumbha", of nectar in order to gain immortality. In a later day extension to the legend, the pot is spilt at four places, and that is the origin of the four Kumbha Melas. The story varies, with some stating Vishnu as Mohini avatar, others stating Dhanavantari or Garuda or Indra spilling the pot
Some traditions ascribe Kumbha Mela's origins to the 8th century AD philosopher Shankara as a part of his efforts to start major Hindu gatherings for philosophical discussions and debates along with Hindu monasteries across the Indian subcontinent.
Looks like a Democrat Convention........................
Are tourists welcome? Nothing I’d rather do than spend my vacation surrounded by 400 million semi-naked Indians.
“Nothing I’d rather do than spend my vacation surrounded by 400 million semi-naked Indians.”
I think the gray aliens have reached the same conclusion—Earth is not worth conquering.
Lol.
It starts off as a purely Indo-European religion, with a "Sky father" god - Dyaus Pitr. This is analogous to Deus Pater or Jupiter in Latin, Zeus in Greek, etc.
In addition there is the thunder/lightning god -
you have other similarities like the God of wind (Vayu, Wiatr, etc.) and of fire (Agni, Ogien, etc.) and the two "families" of divine beings - Deva/Asura (Indic), Daeva/Ahura (Iranic), Vanir/Aesir (Nordic), etc. etc.
But then in the 800 BC to 300 BC period a large number of philosophies arose breaking off the Bronze-age Vedic religion (which was primarily based on animal sacrifices) and focused on philosophy - like Jains, Buddhists etc. and India became primarily Buddhist after the emperor Ashoka (the first emperor who ruled over most of India) made it state religion
This changed around the period 200 AD to 500 AD with heavy influence from Christianity with the concept of a personal God (Christianity reached India in 54 AD with the arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle in southern India and St. Bartholomew came some time later to north-western India)
Seems like tourists are welcome :)
400 million pagans gathered in one place.
On form today, Red....
Who knew that Cy Young was celebrated in India too......
I’m guessing rooms at the Motel 6 are gonna be hard to come by.
Think of the stink. Maybe whatever’s left of USAID can airdrop a few hundreds tons of soap.
Does that mean Customer Service is closed for a few days? I tried to call Social Security yesterday and the estimated wait time was “over 120 minutes”.
At first I thought this thread was about the Maha Rushie.
LOL.
That last picture makes me wonder whatever happened to all those starving Indians I used to hear about when being told to finish my dinner.
I hate to say it, but it probably stinks.
What happened was the Green revolution.
I take it your childhood was in the 50s?
During the 60s india started implementing high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, mechanized farm tools, irrigation facilities, pesticides, and fertilizers.
At the same time it better managed its crops
India has the largest amount of fertile land in the world, but it was poorly managed (or mismanaged) under the British Raj -- a note, independent India has never had a famine
When is the last time The Atlantic wrote a glowing piece about Christianity?
The fact that they immerse themselves voluntarily in their open sewer rivers shows true devotion and stupidity. There’s nothing wrong with ritual bathing in rivers if you don’t foul your own nest and keep them clean and unpolluted.
That’s gonna be a lot of poop in the Ganges…..
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