The three-day 11th Kumbh Mela at the confluence of the Cauvery, Kapila, and Spatika Sarovara in T. Narsipur got under way on Sunday with seers of various mutts taking part in religious rituals associated with the event.
T. Narsipur is considered one of the sacred pilgrim centres, which draws devotees from distant places, and the Kumbh Mela here is held once in three years to coincide with the events that take place by rotation at Prayagraj, Ujjain, Nashik, and Haridwar once in 12 years.
But unlike the Kumbh Melas in the North, which have a hoary past and its origins are rooted in mythology, the one in T. Narsipur is a tradition in the making and the first event was conducted in 1989.
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The objective of conducting the Kumbh Mela here is to facilitate people of the region, who otherwise cannot travel to either the North or Central India, to take part in a similar event at a place that is reckoned to be equally sacred.
On Sunday, seers of various mutts, including Jayendra Puri Mahaswami of Kailash Ashram, Sri Somnatheshwara Swami of Adichunchunagiri Mutt, and Sri Doreswamy of Kanakaguru Peetha of T. Narsipur, offered prayers at Sri Agastyeshwara Swami Temple, followed by Ganapati Homa, Rudra Homa, Chandi Homa and so on. Even as the seers set the tone for the event with rituals, devotees took a dip at the confluence of the rivers, which witnessed a steady flow of pilgrims throughout the day.
The seers marched to the river for the sankalpa and prayed for the collective welfare of the people of the country. There will be similar rituals on Monday as well. The pilgrim flow to the temple town is expected to gain traction during the next two days and will peak on Tuesday during the ‘Punya Snana’.
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The priests and seers have fixed the timings for Punya Snana for Tuesday from 9.15 a.m. to 11.45 a.m. when thousands of people are expected to take the holy dip. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and some of his Cabinet colleagues too are expected to take part in it.
The district administration and the Department of Kannada and Culture have planned a grand cultural procession on Monday from 4 p.m. Besides, cultural programmes will be held at the Cauvery, Kapila and Triveni Sangama Vedike set up for the purpose during mornings and evenings.
Security has been tightened and divers and rescue teams have been deployed to handle emergency.