The ceremonial bathing was first led by the Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani and Shri Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara. This will be the first Maha Kumbh to take place since the grand Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.
Prayagraj: The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 commenced its most sacred ritual on Makar Sankranti, with thousands of saints and devotees performing the first ceremonial bathing ritual ‘Amrit Snan’ at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. Recognized as an auspicious event, the first ‘Amrit Snan’ began on Tuesday morning.
The ceremonial bathing was first led by the Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani and Shri Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara. This year, the Amrit Snan is occurind a day after the ‘Paush Purnima Snan’, creating a rare sequence of the auspicious bathing rituals on consecutive days. It will be the first Maha Kumbh to take place since the grand Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.
Sadhus taking hole dip at Triveni Sangam
Today, sadhus from 13 Akharas of Sanatan Dharma are taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. These 13 Akharas are divided into three main groups: Sanyasi (Shaivite), Bairagi (Vaishnavite), and Udaseen. The Shaivite Akharas include prominent names such as Shree Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara, Shree Panchayati Akhara Niranjani, Shree Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara, Shree Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani, Shree Shambhu Panchagni Akhara, Shree Panchdashnam Aavahan Akhara, and Taponidhi Shri Anand Akhara Panchayti.
Change of names tradional rituals
The president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, Mahant Ravindra Puri explained that this year’s Kumbh has introduced new names for traditional rituals. Terms like ‘shahi snan’ and ‘peshwai’ have been replaced with ‘Amrit Snan’ and ‘Chhavni Pravesh’ to emphasize Sanskrit and Sanatan cultural values. “This change is aimed at preserving and promoting our rich cultural heritage,” he said as quoted by PTI.
Significance of Maha Kumbh Mela
The Kumbh Mela is a prominent Hindu festival and pilgrimage, symbolizing spiritual cleansing and liberation. It is held at four sacred locations – Prayagraj, Ujjain, Haridwar, and Nashik, based on specific planetary alignments.
Bathing dates of Maha Kumbh 2025
This year, there are six auspicous bathing dates for Maha Kumbh. These dates are called as “Shahi Snan” which are slated for January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami). Other auspicious bathing days include January 13 (Paush Purnima), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivratri).
