Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela is a mass pilgrimage centered on the ritual of riverside bathing, it is variously called the the Great Indian Bathing Festival, the Urn Festival, the Pitcher Festival and so forth. It occurs four times every twelve years rotating between Allahabad/Prayaga at the confluence of the rivers Ganga (Ganges), Jamuna (Yamuna) and the concealed Saraswati, Haridwar (Hara Dwar) on the river Ganga (Ganges), Ujjain on the river Kshipra (Shipra), and Nasik on the river Godavari (Gomati)
Bathing in these rivers during the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela is considered an endeavour of great merit, cleansing both body and spirit. The Allahabad and Haridwar (Hara Dwar) festivals are routinely attended by five million or more pilgrims; the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world. It may also be the oldest
Two traditions are in circulation regarding the origin and timing of the festival: one that stems from ancient texts known as the Puranas, and the other that connects it with astrological considerations. According to the Puranic epic, the gods and demons had churned the milky ocean at the beginning of time in order to gather various divine treasures including a jar containing a potion of immortality - Ambrosia. As the jar emerged from the ocean the gods and demons began a terrific battle for its possession. During the battle, which according to one legend the gods won by trickery, four drops of the precious potion fell to earth, when Jayantha (Jayanth) the son of the chief deity Indra carried the jar (Kumbha/kumbh) that held the ambrosia in the form of a giant bird - these places became the sites of the four Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela festivals, according to another legend he ran away with the jar and hid them on twelve locations on earth where few drops of ambrosia fell, four of these places are known and identified as the four sites for the Kumbh (Kumbh) Mela, the other eight locations are being researched by our team
The astrological tradition (ascribed to a lost Puranic text and not traceable in extant editions) seems to stem from a very ancient festival called the Kumbha Parva, which occurred at Hardwar every twelfth year when Jupiter was in Aquarius (the Indian name being Kumbha/Kumbh) and the sun entered Aries
At some later time the term 'Kumbha (Kumbh)' was prefixed to the Melas held at Prayaga, Ujjain, and Nasik and these four sites became identified with the four mythical locations of the immortality potion - Ambrosia. In theory the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela festivals are supposed to occur every three years, rotating between the four cities. In practice the four-city cycle may actually take eleven or thirteen years and this because of the difficulties and controversies in calculating the astrological conjunctions. Furthermore the interval between the Kumbha Mela at Nasik and that at Ujjain is not of three years; they are celebrated the same year or only a year apart. This deviation in practice is intriguing and cannot be fully explained by either astrological or mythological means.
kalpavasi.com
This is a tribute video to our customers who played at Diablo Venture Games Paintball for the past 1/4 century. It starts off with shots of some of our many volunteer ref\'s and paid managers. Diablo Venture Games was always proud of those ref\'s who represented our paintball games to the public. Our customers most often commented both in person, phone and email on how well our staff performed and serviced their needs, ensuring the safest paintball games in the San Francisco Bay Area.
It\'s not surprising, giving the fact that we always attracted and accepted only those young people with the very best character traits. Most all my staff the past 1/4 century went on to college and are active and productive members our great nation. We count 15 eagle scouts among our ref\'s. Many went on to military carriers, taking what they learned on our paintball fields to the battle fields. Among my very proudest are 2 west Point, 3 Annapolis and 1 Air Force academy graduates, not to mention the many enlisted who worked their way up the enlisted ranks.
Although there are some relevantly new customers represented in the video, most shots take you back the the mid eighties and continue into the early nineties. In my opinion, this was Venture Games golden years as well as paintball its self, before it went total commercial and corporate
{Note}
Diablo Venture Games Paintball Park opened on April 12th 1986, due to the property owner selling the land; it was forced to close down on January 31st 2009. It was home to the original Ironmen recreational paintball team from 1986 to 1988 before it switched to a tournament team. Home to the Lost Boys, Little Rascals, Wild Geese, Out of Shape, Team Taurus and countless others no one ever herd of but deserve mention in this world of the internet!
www.venturegamespaintball.com
Bob Sapp is interviewed in Hong Kong, promoting Planet Battle fight night June 4th 2009. For tickets and information visit http://www.planet-battle.com
Planet Battle: The battle returns to Hong Kong with its brutal No Rules mixed martial arts. June 4th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong All you need to know @ http://www.planet-battle.com/
Watch Rangers fans battle in an ice cream eating contest to win a pair of tickets to Game 3 of the Rangers Playoff series against the Washington Capitals.
Madworld is an imaginative third-person action game exclusively for Wii and was produced by Atsushi Inaba. MadWorld has a unique black and white style depicting an incredibly sharp backdrop that straddles graphic novels and 3D worlds. As players battle opponents, they must master the use of various weapons and items found within their environment, such as chainsaws and street signs, while entertaining sports commentary adds to the third-person gameplay. With its irreverent humor and over-the-top violence, MadWorld will deliver a unique core gaming experience currently missing on the Wii system.
A mythical race between thirteen animals to decide who will become the twelve signs of the Japanese Zodiac is brought to life with this animated short as dragon, ox, monkey, rabbit and more battle it out to gain a place in eternity!
A beautiful young Caucasian sports groupies wildest dreams come true when she falls for a married African American pro-basketball star. But the fantasy soon ends when her affair with the athlete results in an extraordinary court battle for custody of their mixed-race son. Staring Jennifer Finnigan and Doug Savant. Premieres Sunday January 18th at 8pm ET on Lifetime Movie Network.
A beautiful young Caucasian sports groupies wildest dreams come true when she falls for a married African American pro-basketball star. But the fantasy soon ends when her affair with the athlete results in an extraordinary court battle for custody of their mixed-race son. Staring Jennifer Finnigan and Doug Savant. Premieres Sunday January 18th at 8pm ET on Lifetime Movie Network.
