The kumbh (pot) is the symbol of the holy bath of faith, as Hindus believe that a dip in the holy water of Ganga cleanses them of all their sins and paves the way to salvation.The Ujjain Kumbh mela, one of the four fairs traditionally recognised as Kumbh mela in India, is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which devotees gather to bathe in a sacred river. It is the world’s largest religious gathering.N..This year, on the occasion, women from Alwar and Tonk districts of Rajasthan belonging to a caste whose members performed manual scavenging in the past, took a holy bath at the famous Ramghat. Dalits are not generally allowed to perform most Hindu rituals, including the Kumbh dip, but this year, when the group emerged from their holy bath, priests belonging to the highest Hindu caste welcomed them to mainstream society by blowing conches, chanting hymns, smearing holy ash on their forehead and declaring that they were no longer ‘untouchable’.The Ujjain Kumbh mela, one of the four fairs traditionally recognised as Kumbh mela in India, is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which devotees gather to bathe in a sacred river. These four places, including Ujjain, are the present day sites of Kumbh melas. The Ujjain Kumbha mela had several sights to offer — from devout reverence to the poetic. The dalits who were earlier known as ‘untouchable scavengers’ and widows from Vrindavan also took a holy bath at the sacred ghat of Kshipra. According to Hindu mythology, Vishnu dropped drops of amrita (the drink of immortality) at four places while transporting it in a kumbh (pot). (Photo: G.“It’s the biggest sign yet, of changing attitudes towards India’s outdated caste system,” remarked Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh Sanitation movement. Discharge Spout for sale “This Kumbh ceremony should be viewed as a bold and successful step towards the egalitarian inclusion of the downtrodden in the religio-social world of the Hindus,” he added, pointing out the historical importance of the high caste Brahmins supporting the women in particular.

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Environmentally-conscious couples are choosing to have eco-friendly weddings. “It’s a ball made of mud and cow dung, inside which, there is a seed. Prashin makes an important point when he says that being organic is not synonymous with being eco-friendly. Talking about their 2016 wedding, Daniel says, “Ropes used for hanging wedding decorations were later used at home to hang wedding pictures. Sharanya says, “We got seed paper invites. To sidestep this problem, actress Rubina and hubby Abhinav decided to give planters as a token of appreciation. Prashin Jagger who married his sweetheart, Deepa Kamath, this June, says they avoided the use of disposable plastics by opting for reusable plastic cutlery offered by the caterer. However, of late, they are also becoming a platform to voice a message, to make a statement about a way of life that will soon become crucial to our survival – that of inculcating eco-friendly habits in our lifestyle.Chetan and Poonam Gaikwad encouraged guests to drop in a small contribution in their donation box.Prashin and Deepa, on the other hand, stuck posters to create awareness about food wastage.

One must always be aware of what one is using, where it’s coming from and where it will go,” says Prashin.” Chetan Gaikwad too stresses the need for eco-friendly weddings as ‘we don’t have another planet. And so, to reduce the use of paper, many couples are using e-invites instead.Another couple that opted to minimise waste by reusing a lot of their wedding decorations is Daniel and Rebecca Pearson. You fill it with bird feed and leave it outside your house. Prashin vouches for Wholesale stainless steel coolers this thought by saying, “I’m a freelance photographer and shoot a lot of weddings. Rubina and Abhinav also gave diamonds a wide berth. Our centerpiece is now used as a flower vase. So, I’m familiar with the amount of waste weddings create. So, no diamond jewellery was used in our wedding,” says Rubina. Seed papers are eco-friendly papers that are filled with seeds. “We also didn’t have lavish celebrations, burst crackers or hire a DJ. Also, instead of using a cake stand, we had used mango crates, which we returned to the seller after the wedding. The couple also created placards from old papers and cardboard to explain the eco-friendly ideas they had incorporated into their wedding. Rubina says, “We decided to not give invites that people would throw away, contributing to garbage. The biggest hindrance remains, as Prashin says, the ‘log kya kahenge’ thought. Pune-based Chetan and Poonam Gaikwad opted to use steel plates and glasses instead of disposable cutlery.

We had made signs using wooden boards lying around and later, used them to hide patches of peeling paint in our home. It’s beyond what a household will create in six months.”Awareness through activitiesApart from infusing their wedding with eco-friendly options, couples have also tried to inform guests about nature-friendly habits by organising fun activities during the wedding festivities. “It’s shaped like a lantern.Mumbai-based Prashin and Deepa decided to distribute seed balls as return gifts. If we keep destroying it, there would be no other place for mankind to live’. Some are even looking at biodegradable options to reduce waste. But, we couldn’t say that outright, so we wrote these quotes about food to draw attention to the fact that the food we’re eating is precious,” explains Prashin.” The couple also held a pot-making event to encourage guests to use natural items instead of plastic. “We want to please our family and this thought prevents us from doing the things we want to.Sharanya and Susheel, on the other hand, gave out bird feeders to friends and family. “We wanted to encourage people to eat consciously. We also handed out glass bottles to remind people that disposable plastic bottles are harmful and create a lot of waste,” says Sharanya.

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