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Vedas say, “Snana Moola Kriya: Sarvaa:” The Vedas and Upanishads further advise the married people to take bath twice daily and insist Saints for bathing thrice a day. “Parasara Smiriti” explains this very well as “rusheenaam rusheetha nityam prathas snanath na sam sayaha” i.e Saints always take bath well before early morning and start their daily rituals. Most of the “Rishis” (Saints) in olden days used to take bath in this hour and attained the sainthood. It is known as “Pratah Kala” or “Brahma Muhoortha” or the most auspicious time. The early morning 4 O’ clock is considered as the most auspicious time in the Hindu Religion. “Bathing” is defined in almost all Vedas, Upanishads, Suthras, etc. There are many historical and mythological references of piousness of water in all religious activities.īathing in Sanatan In Sanatan context, taking “bath” is considered as the most important daily ritual. Unfortunately, today pond and water pools are dried up and neglected or poorly managed.
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It is a customary that people first take bath in adjoining pool or tank, then come to temple to offer pujas and prayers to the presiding deities. Traditional beliefs hold that the water of a temple pond is holy and has cleansing properties. Every village/town/city has a temple with a sizable water pond. Temple Tanks or pond or any kind of big water reservoir is an essential part of every large Hindu temple. Milk and water are symbols of fertility, absence of which can cause barrenness, sterility leading to death. Water represents the "non-manifested substratum from which all manifestations derive" and is considered by Hindus to be a purifier, life-giver, and destroyer of evil. This cycle of life is seen as a metaphor for Hinduism.
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This water provides support to all living creatures including trees and crops. Every summer snow melts in Himalayas and water comes down on plain and Ganga and other rivers swell. Sites of convergence between land and two, or even better three, rivers, carry special importance and are especially sacred. Auspicious places are usually situated on the banks of rivers, coasts, seashores and mountains. We know that holy places are usually located on the banks of rivers, ponds, coasts and mountains. To attain purity, high degree of reverence for water was quite obvious and hence, water is a part of every ritual and pujas. Significance of Water in Sanatan Sanatan followers believe that physical and spiritual cleanliness is very important to any ritual. It is believed that the water of the sacred Ganga flows into this tank on this auspicious day. In Madras at Kumbhakamaon, there are shrines of Nageshwara and Sarangpani near which there is a large tank in which devotees can take a dip on this holy day. Similarly, a bath in the Pushkar Lake in Rajasthan is also regarded as equally auspicious. A dip in the sea at Kanyakumari and Rameshwaram also has high religious value. People walk for miles and miles to be able to take a single holy dip in the river. On this day, a number of bathing festivals are held on the banks of holy rivers like the Ganga, Jamuna, Kaveri, Krishna, Tapti, etc. Those who cannot make it to the sacred river can take a bath in any other stream, river, tank or pond which is regarded as holy and auspicious. Hindu devotees take a holy bath in the Ganga or Yamuna rivers every day of the month which begins from Paush Purnima and ends on Magha Purnima. A Bathing Festival Magh Purnima is adored as a 'bathing festival' across the country and a dip in the Ganga on this day holds high religious merit.