Mauni-amāvāsyā
By Swami Harshananda
The amāvāsyā during the month of Māgha is called ‘maunī Amāvāsyā’. On this day people are advised to keep mauna or observe silence or behave like munis or sages, observing spiritual disciplines like satya or speaking the truth, brahmacarya or celibacy and so on.
However, this day is held to be extremely auspicious to have a dip in the Saṅgama or Triveṇīsaṅgama, the confluence of the rivers Gaṅgā, Yamunā and the subterranean Sarasvatī of Vedic fame, situated in Prayāga in Allahabad city of Uttar Pradesh. Every year lakhs of people gather on the banks of the rivers Gaṅgā and Yamunā at Allahabad during the month of Māgha[1] and the religious fair goes by the name ‘Māghamelā’. The biggest religious fair of the whole world, called ‘Kumbhamelā’ is held once in 12 years.
References[edit]
- ↑ Māgha comes in January.
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore