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PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA, January 16, 2019 (Swarajyamag): Over 12.5 million devotees took a holy dip yesterday at the Sangam, heralding the 50-day Kumbh Mela taking place in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. The devotees participated in the shahi snan at the confluence of the sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythological Saraswati on Makar Sankranti reports The New Indian Express. Mela authorities have estimated that total number of pilgrims who took the holy bath at the Sangam touched the 20 million mark between 14 and 15 January, with people approaching bathing ghats even till late in the evening. Taking a holy dip at the Sangam is believed to wipe away all the sins of a person, while also emancipating him or her from the cycle of reincarnation.
The Ardh Kumbh at Prayagraj is held every six years. It is likely to be the largest congregation of humanity on the planet with 150 million people expected to participate in the mela during the 50 days. The first groups of people reaching the Kumbh were huge processions of 13 akharas or religious orders in accordance with time slots given to them. Five more shahi snans will take place on the following occasions: Paush Porrima (21 January), Mauni Amavasya (4 February), Basant Panchami (10 February), Maghi Poornima (19 February) and Mahashivratri (4 March). The year’s Kumbh is much grander than previous ones, with an increase in the area of the mela as well as the budget.
| Yoga and Meditation Are on the Rise in the U.S. |
UNITED STATES, January 15, 2019 (Nurse): As mindfulness and complementary health techniques become more mainstream, more Americans are adding yoga and meditation to their wellness routines. Survey results published by the National Institutes of Health found the number of American adults and children practicing yoga and meditation has risen significantly over the past five years. According to an NIH news release on the survey, 9.5% adults questioned in 2012 said they did yoga, with the number jumping to 14.3% by 2017. For meditation just 4.1% of adults said they used the method in 2012, with 14.2% of adults using meditation in the 2017 survey. The survey was part of a complementary health questionnaire developed by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
The survey found women were more likely to use yoga and meditation in the past 12 months than men in 2017. For children, the survey found the number of children ages 4-7 who used yoga in the past year had a large increase of 3.7% in 2012 to 8.4% in 2017. Meditation among children also saw significant increases, with 5.4% using meditation in 2017. Girls were more likely to have done yoga in the past 12 months than boys in 2017, the news release stated. According to the American Osteopathic Association, benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, muscle strength and tone, improved energy and respiration, weight reduction and improved cardio and circulatory health. The practice also helps manage stress, relaxes the mind and sharpens concentration, according to the association’s website.
More at ”source”.
| Help Hinduism Today Cover the Kumbha Mela |
KAUAI, HAWAII, USA, January 17, 2019: Our chief India correspondent, Mr. Rajiv Malik along with photographer Pramil Dwivedi, will be covering the Kumbha Mela from January 24th to 29th. We request any of our HPI readers who might arrange interview time with any of the prominent or not-so-prominent saints, swamis or sadhus at the event to write the managing editor, Acharya Arumuganathaswami, at [email protected]. A special focus of our report will be soliciting the advice of the saints on pressing questions from the Hindu community.
| Daily Inspiration |
During the Kali Yuga, man, being completely dependent on food to live life, cannot altogether shake off the idea that he is the body. But truly he is Brahman.
— Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836–1886), Indian mystic
