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.
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Carson-Dellosa Publishing, LLC, in partnership with Guinness World Records, announced the grand-prize winner in its Guinness World Records® Classroom Challenge at a record-breaking event held Friday, May 20th in Owingsville, KY. As grand-prize winners under the direction of 4th Grade teacher Jessica Goldy, the students of Owingsville Elementary School created the world’s longest friendship bracelet. Students created a total of 3,799 links that were connected to make one bracelet measuring 810 feet. Friday morning, under the supervision of a Guinness World Records® adjudicator, the exciting event was held on the school’s football field.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/carsondellosa/50387/
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP) today announced that it is launching an inspiring new philanthropic initiative that invites customers in over 1,100 stores to turn small change into “pennies from heaven” by rounding up their purchases and donating the difference to life-enriching afterschool programs. For more than a decade, jcpenney has been the leading corporate advocate for the afterschool issue by distributing more than $100 million across every jcpenney community. To bolster support for the afterschool movement, jcpenney will unveil its most extensive cause marketing campaign to date. Serving as the Company’s signature cause-related event, pennies from heaven will be held four times a year starting July 31 through Aug. 27 during the Back-to-School season.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/jcpenney/48223/
Clockenflap 2008 is a one-day multimedia arts and music festival showcasing high quality and original local and international artists.The event will be held Sunday,January 12 at Cyberport in Hong Kong utilising both the outdoor grass podium and the indoor arena.The event aims to provide a unique environment to facilitate the exchange of ideas between local artists, visiting artists and the general public. Clockenflap will be an engaging and entertaining day out for all ages.www.so-u.tv
When the Football World Cup begins in South Africa in June 2010, many thousands of boys aged between ten and twelve will have already finished competing in their own World Cup. The Volkswagen Junior World Masters is a worldwide tournament series which is held in Brazil, Mexico, the USA, Russia, South Africa and Germany, amongst other countries. In May, the winning teams will compete in a final tournament at the famous Bernabe� Stadium in Madrid.
Sixty years after his grandfather disappeared in Korea, a young naval intelligence officer seeks the truth behind rumors that American POWs are still being held there. Risking his life, fortune, and freedom, he leads a daring mission into the dangerous dictatorship of North Korea, all for the love of his country and a grandfather he never knew. Learn about the book here, http://bit.ly/jj3goM Learn about this author here, http://donbrownbooks.com/: Military Suspense
LG Mobile Phones sponsored the VH1 Save The Music Foundation’s Gala 2010 last night, to celebrate the power of music and to support the restoration of public school music programs. Held at the world-renown Cipriani Wall Street, LG joined forces with VH1 Save The Music to transform a night of spectacular entertainment into a fundraising success by donating an additional $50,000 to help raise a total of $100,000 for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Hosted by Glee star and Broadway veteran, Cheyenne Jackson, the evening featured tributes to music legend Julie Andrews, The ASCAP Foundation, long-time arts advocate John Legend and seven time Grammy Award winner John Mayer.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/lg/46951/
With the help of a compassionate fitness club owner and a personal trainer, Susan managed to lose 75 pounds over several months. The club owner, Kitty Williams of Anytime Fitness in Loveland, celebrated Susan’s success by featuring her “before and after” photos in a local newspaper ad.
Susan’s pride at being featured in the ad turned to horror, however, when Tonight Show host Jay Leno mocked Susan’s accomplishments during one of his weekly “Headlines” segments. Leno held up the advertisement in front of a camera and said, “Susan, all you did was change your shirt.” The studio audience burst out laughing and Leno repeated the taunt, “All she did was change her shirt.”
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Hong Kong Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Fund Raiser 2008 was held on 28 October. This was a great night to show your support for one of the best organisations in Hong Kong -- the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival returns in November 2008.
Greetings from Johannesburg, South Africa. Join us as we catch up with two of the city’s rising young soccer stars, Nodia Mukari and Dylan Bufton. Both boys play for McDuling Motors, a Johannesburg based under thirteen side that is more commonly known as Robertsham Football Club. The team recently won the South African leg of the Volkswagen Junior Masters and as a result they will now be representing South Africa in the world finals, to be held in Madrid in May.
The Saab Automobile factory echoed to the sound of loud cheers and spontaneous applause today (23 February) as almost 4,000 employees, dealers and suppliers held a giant party to celebrate the first anniversary of Saab’s rebirth as an independent carmaker.
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