Looking to attain ‘Nirvana’, ‘Moksha’ or salvation following Hindu strictures? Join in the spiritual paths of the Kumbh festivities being celebrated at Prayag or ancient Allahabad in North India. Prayag is the holy site that marks the confluence of the mystical river, Saraswati (not physically visible but believed to flow in the recesses of the earth or to exist on the spiritual plane) - joining the two most ancient and revered Indian rivers-the Ganges and the Yamuna.

This ‘Sangam’ or the confluence of the holy rivers is considered sacred. The Hindu belief is to scatter or immerse one’s cremated ashes at the ‘Sangam’ to attain 'Moksha' or salvation- a freedom from the infinite cycle of life and death. The Maha Kumbh Mela or the great festival of the ethereal urn symbolizes attainment of this state of ‘Nirvana’ or ‘Moksha’.

The Kumbh Mela, one of the most important of Hindu spiritual gatherings takes place every three years in rotation between the four major Hindu pilgrim centers-Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. Hindu believers in millions congregate at these locations to cleanse themselves, symbolizing the attainment of ‘Moksha’.

Haridwar is located in the state of Uttaranchal Pradesh where the holy Ganges flows in from the Himalayan plains and is believed to flow out some 15,500 miles towards the Bay of Bengal in the East coast of India. The ancient city of Ujjain is located on the banks of the Ksipra River in Madhya Pradesh and Nashik on the banks of the Godavari River flows past the West coast of Maharashtra.

The year 2007 cites important in the history of the Ardh Kumbh as celebrations gather momentum at Allahabad this year. Paush Purnima (3rd January) and Makar Sankranti (14th /15th January) solemnized “Gangasagar Snan” in multitudes.

More zest is expected in Allahabad on the 19th of January, the Mauni Amavasya or the "New Moon of the Saints" day. This day is the first and main bathing or cleansing day for holy folks where gilded and naked processions by mendicants mark spiritual passions. It is also a day when new members are initiated into the innumerable holy monastic orders or “Akharas” for the first time.

The 2007 “Mauni Amavasya” hopes to witness some 20 million pilgrims taking holy dips at the ‘Sangam’ in Allahabad or ancient “Prayag Raj”. Devout Hindus believe that on Mauni Amavasya, the sun, moon and the planets - Venus and Mercury are in the zodiac of Capricorn, a rare but perfect alignment of planets.

The day deems special because the above planetary position enables the sun’s rays, when they fall on the Ganges to turn the river water into nectar or ‘Amrit’, hence a dip in the holy river is akin to drinking nectar on this day. Although, all new moon nights or ‘amavasyas’ are auspicious for a holy dip, on this particular day, pilgrims do not utter a word or keep “maun”(silent) until they bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges.

The three auspicious Hindu dates –Basant Panchami (23rd January), Maaghi Purnima (2nd February) and Maha Shivratri (16th February) in 2007 is expected to add to the gusto amongst monastic orders and Hindu believers to uphold their ranks in the various spiritual folds.

The Kumbh festivities could be reckoned as a colorful pageant of diversities in the Hindu religion, exposing facets of the cult or occult nature of Hinduism as a diverse religious order. Hermits, sages, learned yogis and miracle men all rub shoulders and exhibit their spiritual prowess through their “chakraa” or meditative senses to commoners and missionaries alike.

The Kumbh Melas attract all sorts, from traditional to non-traditional followers of Hinduism from the Himalayas, Swamis and missionaries from South of India and also from shores abroad –Africa, Japan, Europe and also America.

The faces of ash-smeared mendicants, the "Digambers", add to the mystic appeal of the Kumbh “snan”. The diversity of the learned men and their commoner devotees but speak volumes about the overwhelming mass appeal that India continues to wield over other countries spiritually---a trend which has intensified with tour operators cashing on this season and developing tour packages around the Kumbh Mela and its destination.

Though there is no air link to Allahabad, airports from metro cities could be accessed directly through airports in Varanasi and Lucknow about 147 kms and 210 kms respectively from Allahabad. There are rail links from Allahabad to cities like Calcutta Delhi, Patna, Guwhati, Chennai, Mumbai, Gwalior, Meerut, Lucknow Kanpur and Varanasi. Allahabad is on National Highways (NH) 2 and NH 27 and taxis, cycles and auto rickshaws are the common means of transport within the city. Most tours are locally centered on the Allahabad city, the Fort and the University.

2007 is also likely to unfold the twelfth “Dharma Sansad” or religious congregation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and arrangements are on for the third Vishwa Hindu Sammelan or World Hindu gathering to be held to be held on February 11, 2007 within the Ardh Kumbh premises. Such conferences depict the enormity of the Kumbh Mela as a breeding ground for religious discourse and discussions and challenge the devotees to learn and unlearn from these talks.

The origin of the Kumbh Mela dates back to the Hindu mythological tale of “Sagar Manthan" (the Great Churning of the Ocean) which resulted in the pitcher of nectar or the “Amrit Kumbh” to emerge from the ocean. ENDS