Author: Shiva Kumar Dubey
Publisher: Centre for Cultural Resources and Training
Year: 2001
Language: English
Pages: 139
ISBN/UPC (if available): CCRT/RBLIII
Description
This study attempts at projecting Prayag (Allahabad) as one of the four major focal centres of eastern consciousness. It traces the genesis of the kumbh, its astrological significance, the temples as centres of sustaining faith and modern science-technological institutions, including the University of Allahabad.
As a moving open university showing a continuum of spiritual and cultural traditions of over 2500 years, Prayag is a vibrant centre of the Indian vision of the world as one family and is, in fact, an epicenter of joy, divine contact and bliss, the much sought-after goal of the Hindu way of life.
The study endeavours to explain that with deep faith in living presence of Power Sublime, pilgrims from across the country and world gather at Prayag to reap benefits of the blissful influences on the occasion of Kumbh every twelfth year and bathe in the glory of transcendental grace.
Since Vedic or even pre-Vedic period Prayag has not only been attracting great minds in various fields of humanities, but also Gods and demons alike together with all Teerth Gods of the World counted at 33 crore and ten thousand.
The study strives to explain that the great sages, saints, seers, Dharma Gurus, Dharmacharyas, educationists, reformers, preachers of various sects-Shaivites, Vaishnavites, Shaktas, Buddhists, Jainis and Arya Samajis and educationists in the methodology of knowing the Knower have continued to visit Prayag during Kumbh Parv through two and a half millennium for the benefit of the masses.
Prayag is a centre of spiritual and moral education, spiritualism and morality in India and has guided political and socio-economic actions as reflected in the freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi making Allahabad a vibrant centre of political activities. Prayag has a rich historical, cultural and spiritual heritage of holistic eco-cultural evolution which has not been explored fully for English readers.
The study gives a glimpse of the important centres of faith in and around Allahabad and into its indomitable spirit of rebellion against subjugation and unfair practices as seen in the freedom movement since 1857.
Contents
The Kumbh legends
Astrological & spiritual significance of Kumbh
The fifth kumbh at Kumbhakonam
The mystique of Kumbh
The philosophy of Kumbh
Kumbh and the four Purusharthas
Akharas of Sanyasins
Mahanirvani Akhara
Prayag, why Teertharaj?
The Teertharaj
Triveni, Vat Kshetra and Veni Madhav
Prayag through Puranas
Prayagwal and religious practices
Allahabad Fort, Akshaiyavat and Saraswati Koop
Todar Mal’s drum telephone
Bade Hanuman temple and Shri Hanumat Niketan
Pratisthanpur (Jhusi), Hansteertha, Hanskoop, Samudrakoop.
Kot Dayaram and Mosque of Saint Taqui.
Revealing Trip to Pratisthanpur
Sringverpur and Bhardwaj Ashram
Prayag as seat of Ram-Krishna consciousness
Ramdal Processions
Prayag as Shaktipeeth
Kumbh in 1822
Briton’s view of 1870 Kumbh
Mark Twin in 1895 Kumbh
Kumbh congregation since 1906
Misuse of Facilities
Kumbh in 1989
Yogiraj Deoraha Baba
Saint Prabhu Dutt Brahmachari
Yogiraj Handia Baba
Anand Bhawan-Swaraj Bhawan
Allahabad Museum
Allahabad High Court
Allahabad University
Indian Institute of Information Technology
Geo-magnetic centre
Motital Nehru Regional Engineering College
Antiquity of Allahabad
Rise and fall of newspapers
Significant role of Catholics
Allahabad: City of composite culture
Bibliography