Participate in Mahakumbh in large numbers, maintain Ganga's sanctity, Kanchi seer urges seer

Chennai, Jan 20 (PTI) Kanchi Shankaracharya Swami Vijayendra Saraswati has appealed to the devotees to participate in the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj and take a dip in the Holy Ganga.

He emphasised the need to maintain the sanctity and purity of the river Ganga by paying obeisance to Her.

With the spiritual event being held after an interval of 12 years, all those believing in Santana Dharma should visit Prayagraj and have a dip in the Ganga, the Kanchi seer said in a statement here.

He expressed his heartfelt happiness on the scenes of a large number of people taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam at the beginning of Prayagraj Mahakumbh.

"The importance of Ganga can be found in the Vedas and Puranas and in our Sanatan religious tradition of thousands of years. Not only our sages and saints but also the incarnation of God Lord Adi Shankaracharya took holy dip in the Ganga and performed meditation," he said.

Ganga was not merely a river but a holy pilgrimage spot on sacred land of India. Recalling Adi Shankaracharya’s visits to the 12 Jyotirlingas and Shakti Peeth, he said, "Adi Shankara specially praised mother Ganga. Therefore, for us, Ganga is not just a river but an idol of worship." Describing the ever-increasing participation of men and women along with saints of different faiths of Sanatan at the Mahakumbh as a confluence of India's religious and cultural heritage, Vijayendra Saraswathi said the banks of Triveni provided a wonderful opportunity to understand different faiths of Sanatan living heritage.

"The Sanatan religious ethos is inseparable from the identity of our nation…Sanatan way of life paves the way to ensure peace and security. Economic progress along with the material upliftment of people is possible only through peace and Mahakumbh is a glimpse of this," he said.

From the religious view, having a dip at the Triveni Sangam ensures virtue besides the blessings of God.

About 36 years ago, when the then Shankaracharya Swami Chandrashekharendra Saraswati could not attend the Mahakumbh due to old age, the holy Ganga water from Triveni was brought to Kanchi by a special aircraft, facilitating the sage to have a dip.

"This abiding faith for Kumbh is a symbol of our spiritual vision for Ganga," he said. PTI JSP KH