Maha Snana at Ardha Kumbha Mela

[Guest guest]

Today was Mauni Amavasya, the day for the Maha Snana at the Ardha Kumbha Mela

at Prayaga, the place where Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarasvati join together. The

Sangam itself is an impressive sight even on an ordinary day. Two huge and

powerful rivers join together, the Ganga flowing in from the left with very

light colored waters and the Yamuna flowing from the left with dark colored

waters. At the point they join you can see these two different colored waters

mixing together.

 

The Sarasvati, of course, is not seen nowadays and there are many opinions

regarding this. Some say that she flows underneath the ground, some say that as

we say at Mayapur, the Ganga flows on one side and Yamuna on the other, in the

same way, Sarasvati joined Alakananda at Badrinatha and then flows into the

Ganga, she's flowing on one side of Ganga.

 

Another opinion is that the Sarasvati is the river of Sadhus with their great

learning coming down to the Sangam to take their holy bath in the divine

waters. Today that river was visible as tens of thousands of sadhus came to

take their bath in the Shahi Snana, Royal Bath, on the most auspicious of all

the bathing days at Ardha Kumbha Mela. Among them were thousands of naked

sadhus displaying their renunciation by walking barefoot in the very cold

morning with no other dress than the ten directions.

 

Since in Ujjain Kumbha Mela in 2004, Lokanatha Swami became a Sri Mahant of the

International Society for Krishna Consciousness Prabhupada Khalsa, we now have

our official place in the Shahi Snanas. By some quirk of traffic we were unable

to reach our place at the end of the procession, but had to wait on the side of

the road where our procession would start to take our place once they started.

This road happened to be where all the processions returning from taking their

bath would pass.

 

First we watched the Niranjini Akhara shivite sadhus returning. Although we

were are bundled up in our sweaters and chadars, we saw a river of dark naked

sadhus, some with huge piles of hair on their heads, some with matted locks

almost dragging in the cold sand, some with tridents or swords. Then followed

the the mahants riding on their silver thrones mounted on trucks or jeeps

surrounded by their followers. Unfortunately the authorities don't allow them

to go on elephants as I saw in the 1989 Kumbha Mela out of fear that an enraged

pachyderm may trample some pilgrims. So they have ruined the glorius pageantry

of the Royal Snana.

 

Then there was a long gap. Then suddenly police mounted on beautiful strong

horses arrived clearing everyone from the roads as the most feared Juna Akhara

shivite sadhus came. They had a very long procession of naked sadhus, some

smeared with the sacred sands of the Sangam again followed by all the mahants

riding on their ornate silver thrones.

 

Now the Vaishnava sadhu procession was to begin. Although in previous melas,

the authorities had prohibited the elephants and had even told us not to take

our bulls, today we took the chance to bring them. The ladies had spent all the

previous day stringing garlands of yellow and orange marigolds which now

gracefully decorated the Deity cart. As the Vaishnavas began to pass, we hooked

our bulls to the cart and everyone was amazed to see their long curving horns.

The bulls were also sporting garlands on their horns and around their heads. In

the excitement, the kirtan began to pick up. As all the Vaishnava Mahants

passed on their silver thrones, they smiled and blessed us seeing the

enthusiastic kirtan of the Holy Names.

 

Although on the Makara Sankranti Snana, Lokantha Maharaja was with us, he had

left for Mayapur to give special seminars. So today with us we had Radha

Govinda Maharaja, Vedavyasa Priya Maharaja, and Radharaman Maharaja. All the

pilgrims, police, and everyone was amazed to see our ornate padayatra cart with

Sri Sri Gaura Nitai bestowing their blessings on all with Srila Prabhupada

gloriously sitting in the front, the captain of the ship to cross over the

dangerous river of Kali. Devotees were dancing and spinning around in ecstasy.

I was totally amazed how not one of the big police officials objected to our

extraordinary bulls, but all waved and made pranams to Guru and Gauranga.

 

Finally we reached to the Sangam and were told we have five minutes to complete

our bath. The cart now became decorated and surrounded with piles of all the

devotees's cloth. Everyone raced to the Sangam and carefully dipped into the

freezing waters of the Holy Sangam. Ganga Maiya ki jaya, Yamuna Maiya ki jaya

rent the air as we bathed with all the Vaishnavas. It was so ecstatic, an

experience no one will ever forget, feeling invigorated by the sacred waters of

Ganga and Yamuna.

 

After the bath, our bodies were tingling and it felt like our hearts were

shining like the sun. We raced back to our Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila

Prabhupada. Then we sprinkled water from the Sangam on Srila Prabhupada. We

even sprinkled some on those fortunate bulls who were able to pull him to the

Triveni Sangam. We quickly dressed and manouvered the bulls to take our place

in the return possession.

 

With all the devotees feeling the ecstacy bestowed on us by Ganga and Yamuna,

the kirtan went wild. Devotees jumping, spinning, and dancing. There was a

little less barricading on the return path, so many devotees were able to get

close to the crowds lining the route to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books.

Thus we made our triumphant way back to our camp.

 

We all then went to take prasadam cooked by Mayapur Nama Hatta devotees all

with kanthi mala and tilaka. All the devotees are praising the prasadam. Then

the grand distribution of prasad to the public began with nice full meals of

hot prasadam cooked with pure ghee. We hope by the end of the day to feed 5,000

hungry pilgrims.

 

The pilgrims have been streaming through our Krishna Lila diaoramas all day.

Even at 3 AM when I awoke, I saw so many pilgrims passing throught the

exhibits. The Delhi devotees have been very enthusiatically distributing books

every day. Practically our stock is finished. Our Harer Nama with the Padayatra

cart has been ecstatic every day, with the crowds most enthusiastically

appreciating the kirtan. This is the most receptive crowd in the world for

Nagar Sankirtan. Vaishnava yajnas are going on every day in the northeast

corner (most auspicious) of our preaching camp. Senior devotees are giving

lectures to the crowds in our pandal every afternoon. Hundreds of pilgrims join

our Gaura aratik every evening. And this evening Saci Devi from Bombay,

disciple of Sachinandan Swami, is serenading the crowd that has packed into our

pandal to hear her sweet voice.

 

We have to thank Co-ordinators Sanaka Santana and Sarvabhauma Prabhus for their

tireless effort to make our preaching successful. His Holiness Radharaman

Maharaja has also been here from the beginning as our resident sannyasi, going

on Harer Nama every day.

 

The camera batteries of our photographer have gone dead so we'll have to send

photos later.

 

The last Shahi Snana is there on Vasanta Panchami on 23rd January. So please

come enjoy the ecstasy of distributing the nectar of the Holy Names. I'm even

surprised that the weather is not so cold, it was really cold in Vrindavan.

 

In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi,

Deena Bandhu dasa