Now, Now…! This is quite a broad topic on why someone should take the interest and time to study the Kumbha Mela. I came across the website, www.kalpavasi.com which provides an opportunity for students from various universities to study the Kumbha Mela on different aspects of science, faith and spirituality. It was this idea which triggered the question, why should somebody take the time to study the Kumbha Mela..?
Other than the fundamental well known Kumbha Mela facts like, the worlds largest manmade temporary city (Mela Kshetra), largest gathering of people in the world, happens once in every 12 years, Congregation of 30 Million people with no violence, crime, hatred or stealing etc..., Wonder if Malcom Gladwell visited the Kumbha Mela before he came up with the idea of group dynamism in the Tipping Point..!?!
It is the largest unofficial congregation of faith and faith based organizations, majority of them indeed affiliated to Hinduism. However do not be surprised to see Muslim clerics performing their rituals on the banks of Ganges during the Kumbha Mela. After all the essence of Kumbha Mela lies in its promise of the eternal salvation, unifying the human spirit with that One God, which transcends beyond religion and faith.
It is said that the purpose of religion is to bring enlightenment to the individual, happiness to the society, and help the individual to move from being a limited entity to universality and to be in communion with the Divine. When at times these ideals are far from reality congregations such as the Kumbha Mela where people of various faiths gather together presents a great opportunity for studying religious dynamism and the overlapping faiths and beliefs across various religious practices
It is also an opportunity to study various faith based organizations which are considered to play a vital role in the transformation of present day society. Though we may have moved away from the blemish of medieval conflicts to a more tolerant and co-operative society, it is believed that faith based organizations still have a vital role to play in defining the tenets of future society. The need multicultural and multi-religious education to reach every nook and corner of the planet is NOW and which better place to study fascinating aspects of Faith, Religion, Spirituality, Science and Management than the Kumbha Mela..?
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