An important Bath

According to Santana traditions taking a bath in rivers, ponds and at seas at certain particular points is considered sacrosanct and regarded as too important or valuable especially at certain holy occasions on particular days. The full-moon of Magh month (it was on 3 February this year) is considered one of the baths that helps a devotee meet the Brahma. On Full moon day of or Magh Punima (Full Moon) is bathing festival all over the country. 

We Indians are well aware of the importance of a holy dip in Ganga at Kumbha every twelth year and Half Kumbha every after every six years in different cities of India also celebrated in the same month.  But the Magh Purnima holy bath is different from Kumbha bath. For North Indians Ganga river has higher religious value and a holy dip in Prayag (Allahabad) is the ultimate bath known as Kalpavas which is an annual function at the banks of Ganga every year on this particular day. 

Other traditions

According to traditions devotees coming for Kalpvas in Prayag they should stay here for one month after taking a holy dip on Magh Purnima. They should live a balanced life performing Puja according to mentioned in holy books. Donations, Yagnas, and feeding poor are other prescribed programs for devotees performing Kalpvas. 

 
Other famous bathing centers

The common faith about Magh snan is that a person that does it according to religious method qualifies to stay in Brhmalok after his death. Originally the value of holy dip was limited to Prayag but later extended to Pushkar, Godawari, Kaveri, Tapti and Betravati (Betwa) rivers. In southern India there are two famous prayers centers known as Sarangapani and Nageshwara near Kumbhakonam with a wholly tank where people take a holy dip. In Tamil Nadu devotees donate cows at Meenakshi and Sureshwara temples on this auspicious day. 

Importance of the Day

We have mentioned the importance of Yagna during the Kalpvas. Let me describe the value of Yagna which is not physical but it effects our speech and mind as well. The one who does not understand the virtues of all round affects of Kalpvas should not perform this Puja. There is another important factor associated with Magh Purnima that mahatma Buddha had announced on this very day standing at Sangam at Prayag that he will leave his body within hundred days and He ultimately left for his heavenly adobe on ninetieth day of his announcem.   

Article Posted By : suny  On February 03, 2015lView All Articles

Suny

Article Source :

http://www.veethi.com/articles/importance-of-magh-purnima-article-3418.htm

Keywords :
Important , Bath , Kumbha , Magha , Purnima , Ganga , Occasion , Temples , Buddha