Kumbha mela

The festival of Kumbha mela in the north of india is world famous...and now, the kumbha mela of south india, the birthday celebrations of our beloved mother and guru, mata amritanandamayi(mother of immortal bliss) is going to take place over the next 3 days, 27th ofcourse being the main day.

The kumbha mela tradionally is a religious festival where hundreds of thousands of people come together at the places where the "nectar of immortality" is supposed to have spilt over from the vessel of the Gods...Here, in amritapuri, we find the entire vessel itself!
On the occassion of the kumbha mela, the devotees take bath in the holy ganges, a dip in that river during that occassion is supposed to be most auspicious...

There is a song by one of the ashram residents, "Gange ginta pavitralu" which means "she who is purer than the river ganges"...truly so. Amma once described herself as a big river whose presence was available to all those who are willing to make use of it...during this birthday, everyone who is present is going to get a dip in it.

There are going to be tens of thousands of visitors and around 5000 voulenteers for this birthday!I think all these people who are going to be coming to the birthday,consciously or unconsciously realise that this is the celebration of this is presence of immortality on earth...
we have our own kumbha mela! All are welcome!

vikas.
september 25,2006.