Maha Magha festival, Kerala’s Kumbh Mela, to conclude on Tuesday with Amritsnanam

The Maha Magha festival, celebrated as the Kumbh Mela of Kerala and being held on the banks of the Bharathapuzha (Nila River) at Thirunavaya in Malappuram district, will conclude on Tuesday with the Maghamakam Amritsnanam at the Aarti Ghat at 8 am.

The Maha Magha Mahotsavam will culminate during the highly auspicious yogas of Makam Nakshatra and Dvitiya Tithi. Thousands of devotees, including Naga Sanyasis, are expected to participate in the Amritsnanam, one of the most sacred rituals of the festival.

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According to Hindu mythology, the Amritsnanam symbolizes purification of the soul and the pursuit of immortality. It is believed that a holy dip performed during this divine yoga cleanses sins, helps attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death, and leads to spiritual awakening.

Following the Amritsnanam, Yati Puja will be performed. Monks who have renounced worldly life and dedicated themselves to the preservation of Sanatana Dharma are known as Yatis.

It is believed that worshipping these Yati Acharyas, who guide Dharma, instils a sense of gurutwa and shows devotees the righteous path in life. Offering food and worshipping the feet of learned monks is considered highly meritorious for individuals, families, and society.

This will be followed by Bhandara, a special ritual of offering abundant food to ascetics. In Sanatana Dharma, a sannyasi is regarded as a living embodiment of God, and feeding ascetics is considered a direct service to the divine.

One of the most striking aspects of the Bhandara is the Pangat, where all participants sit in a single row on the ground and eat together, without any distinction between king and commoner. This tradition, which erases social hierarchies, reflects the ideals of equality and human values upheld by Sanatana Dharma.

A major attraction of the Maha Magha festival is the Nila Aarti, performed daily from 6 pm to 8 pm by Kashi pandits at a specially prepared sandbank along the Nila River.

According to organisers, nearly three lakh devotees witnessed the aarti on Sunday alone. Around 30 KSRTC buses from various parts of the state operated special services to Thirunavaya on that day.

As the Mahamagha Mahotsavam formally concludes on February 3 with the Maghamakam Amritsnanam, Yati Puja and evening Nila Aarti, the banks of the Bharathapuzha at Thirunavaya will stand witness to spiritual awakening and collective consciousness, said Sabhapati Mahamandaleshwar Swami Anandavanam Bharathi.

The Mahamagha Mahotsavam, described as the Kumbh Mela of Kerala, has been drawing lakhs of devotees since its commencement on January 18.