And So The Kumbh Mela Begins

[PAL 07]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20352526

[bluespace]

I wish i could be there....fateh too all those blessed god minded souls having darshan and ishnaan.....

[Raaj.Karega.Khalsa]

Wow! The pictures are quite interesting. Looking forward to seeing this year's pictures.

[13Mirch]

What is kumbh mela?

[Raaj.Karega.Khalsa]

What is kumbh mela?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=kumbh+mela

Love this one! :D

[Only five]

What is kumbh mela?

a pilmgrimage to a so called holy place of water. The people go to wash off their sins by bathing in the holy water.

[Shaheed Singh Khalsa]

I wish i could be there....fateh too all those blessed god minded souls having darshan and ishnaan.....

Bro go to Gurdwara sahib for your darshan of The True Guru and make sure you jump under your power shower before you do go, so that you get that ishnaan you wish for :-)

[lotaya]

What Naked Sahdus juming into the Ganges - Not my thing really, stick to Gurdwhara Sahib and Bani ..

[Into the Light]

theerathh naavan jaao theerathh naam hai ||

Why should I bathe at sacred shrines of pilgrimage? The Naam, the Name of the Lord, is the [only true] sacred shrine of pilgrimage.

theerathh sabadh beechaar a(n)thar giaan hai ||

My sacred shrine of pilgrimage is spiritual wisdom within, and contemplation on the Word of the Shabad.

Gurbani is clear what the true pilgrimage for a Sikh is. But on the flip side, the kumbh mela is a spectaular event and we should use the opportunity to do parchar of Gurmat and bring the people that attend it, into the sharan of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee...i'm sure the Nirmale will be there but i still think it's a missed opportunity by the panth to spread the True path to those who are lost without Satguru Jee's Gurbani.

[N30S1NGH]

Whilst tirath have its own significance (based on sharda and prem) in eastern dharams like hindus/samaj of sadhus take ishan in ganga, buddhist like wise and sikhs also do take ishanan in amritsar sarovar/many ithasik gurdwaras during tirath (where people got healed based on their sharda and prem during tirath). Gurmat sidhant puts naam/gur shabad as biggest tirath that one could have visited 68 tiraths but without naam, it won't give you salvation. But with that being said, tirath of places cannot be rejected outright, its good to do tirath of places take a dip in ganga(for hindus) and take a ishnan in amritsar sarovar than sitting home - playing xbox for example..lol..When we do in parchar of visiting tirath - taking dip in amritsar sarovar or many isthahisik gurdwaras sarovars, we must ensure in the same breath- we must emphasize while these tiraths/their ishnan are good have its own benefit-good/righteous action - the biggest tirath in Gurmat is Shabad/Naam.

All puratan samparda's including taksal in the past-sant bishan singh ji muralawale, used to ganga kumb mela to do parchar of naam Gurmat. In fact sant gyani gurbachan singh khalsa bhindranwale have full chapter on parchar of Gurmat in Ganga Kumb in original Sri Gurmukh Parkash can be downloaded from mahapurakh.com from page -353-369, titled- Bar Desh Parchar,Ganga Da Kumb, Sri Har Singh Ji Darshan. Sant gyani gurbachan singh ji khalsa bhindranwale writes few dohra's at the starting and the end:

Starting of chapter page-353 Dohra-

Ramdas Sri Satguru, Dashan Daie Kalyan
Amritsar Tirath Kairo, man bachant daie dan ||

End of chapter Dohra page-369

Chale Gang Snan Kai, Gurmat Kar Parchar
Amrit Diya Chakaie Bahoa, Eh Bismata Dhar ||

Likewise piara singh padam writes:

The old ones use to speak of that at beginning of the twentieth century Udasi, Nirmala Sadhus and Nihangs of Budha Dal all together use to take out a royal procession in Hardwar. Like this, the banks of Ganges river use to roar with the glory of Guru Nanak and all of India use to salute Guru Baba Ji.
Sikh Sampardvali, Piara Singh Padam, Pa. 27