Prayagraj (Prayag) (Triveni Sangam) information, history, meaning, facts, significance, importance | What is famous about Prayagraj (Veni Daan)
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Just before going to “Prayagraj (Prayag) (Triveni Sangam) information, history, meaning, facts, significance, importance | What is famous about Prayagraj (Veni Daan)“, let us know a brief, basic and very important information.
First let us know the meaning of the word Prayag or Prayaga. Here Prayaaga = Pra + Yaaga = Pra + Yaag = first + Yaag (Yagna) (Sacrifice).
It is said in Hindu Sanatana Dharma shastras (scriptures), Lord Sri Brahma Deva, first chose a land on the earth to perform ‘Prakrista Yaga (Yaag)’ (A sacrifice) at the beginning of srusti / creation and thus Lord Sri Brahma Deva called Prayagraj (Prayag) as a ‘Teertha Raja’.
That is, Prayagraj (Prayag) is called as the ‘King of all pilgrimage centers / places’ and thus the name Prayagraj (प्रयागराज / prayāgarāja) (Prayagaraja / Prayag) name came into existence.
Prayag or Prayagraj is a city in the State of Uttar Pradesh situated at the Sangam (Sangama) (confluence) of the most sacred river Ganga and Yamuna rivers. With this another river also exists as the guptagamini (guptgamini) (invisible) river known as Saraswati.
Prayagraj or Prayag is one of the great four sites of Kumbha Mela. The other three being Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik (Nashik). Prayagraj (Prayag) is a highly sacred and celestial place on earth and is one of the most important pilgrimage places for all the Hindus (Sanatana Dharmis).
Most important is because, it is situated at the Sangam (Sangama) (confluence) of the three holy rivers, that is, Ganga, Yamuna and the guptagamini (guptgamini) (invisible) Saraswati. These three holy rivers, that is, Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati together is known as Triveni Sangam.
In Sanskrit ‘Veni’ means river. Thus ‘Triveni’ means three rivers, that is, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati and since these three rivers make the Sangam / Sangama / confluence in this place, this place is called as ‘Triveni Sangam (Sangama)’.
Puranic significance of Prayagraj (Prayag) : Prayagraj or Prayag as said above is known as ‘Teertha Raj’, that is, the king of all pilgrimage centers (places). The area of Prayagraj (Prayag) is known as the land of Prajapati and thus this great place is also known as ‘Prajapati Kshetra’.
In Puranas like in Padma Purana, Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. Prayagraj’s (Prayag) sanctity has been clearly established. As given the Padma Purana, Prayagraj (Prayag) is best among all the places of ‘teertha kshetras’ / pilgrimages places.
Sanatana Dharma’s ‘Tridevas’, that is, Trinity lords Lord Sri Brahma Deva, Bhagavan lord Sri Vishnu and Lord Maheshwar (Shiva) are the presiding Deities of this region. Prayagraj (Prayag) is also called as ‘Aryavarta, as Aryans are said to have settled here first.
To know ‘The real meaning of Arya’, you can click the below link: The real and correct meaning of Arya
Along with Saptarishis (Seven Sages), it is believed that all Devatas (Demigods) including the Supreme Lord Bhagavan Sri Vishnu eternally reside in ‘Prayagraj Kshetra’ (a great place / center called Prayagraj).
At Prayagraj Kshetra, Bhagavan Lord Sri Vishnu is worshiped with 12 different names and forms known as ‘Dwadasha Madhava / Madhav’ as given below:
Akshaya Madhava (Madhav) / अक्षय माधव / akṣaya mādhava | Ananta Madhava (Madhav) / अनन्त माधव / ananta mādhava | Asi Madhava (Madhav) / असि माधव / asi mādhava | Bindu Madhava (Madhav) / बिन्दु मधाव / bindu mādhava |
Chakra Madhava (Madhav) / चक्र माधव / cakra mādhava | Gada Madhava (Madhav) / गदा माधव / gadā mādhava | Manohar Madhava (Madhav) / मनोहर माधव / manōhara mādhava | Moola Madhava (Madhav) / मूल माधव / mūla mādhava |
Padma Madhava (Madhav) / पद्म माधव / padma mādhava | Shankha Madhava (Madhav) / शन्ख माधव / śaṅkha mādhava | Vata Madhava (Madhav) / वट माधव / vaṭa mādhava | Veni Madhava (Madhav) / वेणी माधव / vēṇī mādhava |
Great divine people who all visited Prayagraj (Who all visited Prayagraj in ancient times) : Before proceeding to nearby Chitrakuta, Bhagavan Lord Sri Rama and along with his consort Sita Devi and brother Lakshmana had spent sometime in Prayagraj (Prayag) at the Ashram of Rishi / Sage Sri Bharadwaja.
Yudhishthira, also called as Dharmaraja on advice of Rishi / Sage Markandeya, took sacred bath at the Sangam (Sangama) / confluence of Triveni Sangam after the Kurukshetra / Mahabharata war. Prayagraj (Prayag) has been known as the greatest pilgrimage since Rig-Veda era.
Here Madhav (Madhava) has different meaning. Let us understand those meanings one by one:
Madhav (Madhav) means, someone who is the consort of Goddess Madhavi (That is, Goddess Sri Lakshmi Devi’s name). Madhav (Madhav) means, someone who blesses us and he is has the supreme knowledge.
Madhav (Madhava) means, someone who has the propounded knowledge. Madhav (Madhava) means, someone who has the highest authority. Madhav (Madhava) means, someone who promulgate the knowledge of the Supreme (He himself is the Supreme).
Madhav (Madhava) means, someone who directs an individual towards performing of good Karma / deeds. Madhav (Madhav) means, someone who directs an individual towards attaining tattva / true divine knowledge. And many more…
Some important facts about Prayagraj (Prayag) (Also known as Triveni Sangam) is as given below:
Triveni Sangam (Sangama) the most sacred confluence of three of the holiest rivers, that is, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.
Prayagraj (Prayag) is one of the four sacred spots where a few drops of the nectar ‘Amrita” spilled while it was carried by Bhagavan Lord Sri Dhanvantari (An avatar of Bhagavan Lord Sri Vishnu) during the episode of ‘Kshira Sagara Manthana (Churning of Oecan) (Amrit Manthan)’. Other three being Haridwar, Nasik (Nashik) and Ujjain.
These four places are greatest ‘teerthas’ (Highest pilgrimage places) and considered to be highly holy by Hindu Sanatana Dharma Shastras (Hindu Texts). Among them ‘Triveni Sangam’, also called as Prayagaraj (or just Prayag) is regarded as the holiest and thus this place is called as ‘Teertharaj’ (King among all the river Pilgrimage places).
The three rivers, that is, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati maintain their identity and are visibly different as they merge. Ganga is very shallow, Yamuna is deep – but calm and greenish in color, but forceful and clear, and, Saraswati remains hidden, she makes her presence felt underwater.
Significance and importance of Prayagraj (Prayag) is as given below:
Prayagraj (Prayag) is widely known in the terrestrial and celestial multiverses. If we get a chance of bathing in the holy waters of ‘Triveni Sangam (Sangama)’, then we will get rid of all sins and we will get all our desires fulfilled.
(Note : Kindly note that, if someone has made sins in his / her life, then it doesn’t means that if that person(s) goes and takes bath, then all the sins will be vanished immediately.)
(No it’s not like that. But, instead that person should do austere penance by knowing his / her past sins and should request and pray to Bhagavan Lord Sri Vishnu to forget the sins done by her / him. This should be done on everyday basis continuously as far as the sins are completed cleansed.)
If our austerity coincides with Kumbh Mela and also on other sacred days (In Sanskrit it is known as ‘Parvakal / पर्वकाल’) the results are manifold and more meritorious. Triveni Sangam (Sangama) is the site for Annual Magha Mela, Ardha Kumbha Mela and Kumbha Mela.
Magha Mela is held every year between mid January and mid February. Maha Kumbh Mela attracts huge gatherings of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Prayagraj (Prayag) is world famous for Maha Kumbh Mela which will be held once in 12 years.
Millions of people take part in this huge Dharmic Sabha / carnival and it is the largest gathering of people on the earth. (More than 200 million Hindus gathered for the Kumbh Mela in 2019, including 50 million on the festival’s most crowded day.)
How to reach Prayagraj : Triveni Sangam (Sangama) is just 12 km away from Prayagraj city railway station and can be reached easily by auto rickshaws that regularly ply on the route.
Once you reach there, you have to travel by boat to the Triveni Sangam spot for taking bath and also for performing Veni Daan.
One important significance of Prayagraj : ‘Magha Snan (Snana / Bath)’ at Prayagraj, that is, in ‘Triveni Sangam’ gives 100 times of ‘Ganga Snana Phala’ (Fruits of taking bath in Ganga).
Veni Daan at Triveni Sangama : Here ‘veni’ means braid of hair and ‘Veni Daan’ is performed at Triveni Sangam (Prayagaraj). This is an old practice being followed by married women for the longevity of their husbands.
Husbands are supposed to comb and plait (choti) wife’s hair, and after decorating it with flowers, the end of the plait is cutoff and offered at Triveni Sangam as a charity. Normally hair floats on any water, but, at this place hair sinks straight to the bottom.
Though thousands and millions of people offer their hairs everyday, there is not a single strand of hair seen floating on this Triveni Sangam.
Information about divine places at and around Prayagraj is as given below:
Veni Madhav (Madhava) Temple (Devalaya / Mandir) – Here there are 12 Madhav (Madhava) Deities (As said earlier – please see above) at Prayagraj. But the Veni Madhav (Madhava) temple at Daraganj close to the Triveni Sangam is significant.
It is a small temple with a small deity (idol) of Bhagavan Lord Sri Vishnu representing Veni Madhav (Madhava) and his consort Goddess Sri Lakshmi Devi.
As per the inscriptions on the walls of the mandir / devalaya / temple, it is said that Bhagavan Lord Sri Vishnu came to this spot as ‘Veni Madhav (Madhava)’ to kill a demon who was trying to possess (by drinking) the three great rivers after he was cured of a skin problem when he took a bath in their confluence at Triveni Sangam.
Akshayavat (Akshayavata) (Akshaya + Vata) : Here Akshaya + Vata = eternal (non-destructable) + tree. It is a divine vriksha / tree that is indestructible. This is a huge and divine Banyan Tree.
This is situated inside the fort on the banks of the river Yamuna. It is said and believed that anyone who prays at this vriksha / tree or dies under it, attains moksha / salvation and its branches hang out into the Yamuna River.
Note that Bhagavan Lord Sri Rama spent a night near this vriksha / tree while on His way to the ‘vanavas (vanavasa)’ (forest exile) along with his consort Goddess Sri Sita Devi and brother Lakshmana (Lakshman).
Bharadwaja Ashram : Bharadwaja Ashram (Ashrama) is located in ‘Colonelganj’ of the city near Anand Bhavan and it is the place where Bhagavan Lord Sri Rama is said to have visited along with his consort Goddess Sita Devi and brother Lakshmana to seek blessings of Rishi / Sage Bharadwaja.
Alopi Devi Temple / Devalaya / Mandir : This mandir / devalaya / temple is also known as ‘Madheshwari (Madhaveshwari) Devi’. “Prayag Madheshwari” also known as ‘Alopi Devi Temple (Devalaya / Mandir)’ is located in ‘Alopi Bagh’ to the west of Daraganj. This is considered as one of the ‘Ashtadasha Shakti Pitas’ (eighteen shakti pitas).
It is an unique temple where its presiding deity is in the form of a small wooden Jhula (swing) which is placed above a marble platform.
Origin of the name Alopi (Here Alopi means disappeared) means, that is, when various body parts of Goddess Sati Devi (Lord Shiva’s consort) was cutdown by Bhagavan Lord Sri Vishnu’s Sudarshana Chakra, fell at various places they were sanctified as holy places for pilgrimage called ‘Shakti Pitas’.
The last part fell at this location thereby named as “Alopi” (where disappearance was concluded) and the holiest of all.
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