Legend: Hindu legends are replete with stories that emphasize the sanctity of Triveni Sangam. One such legend is linked to the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan - समुद्र मंथन) by the gods and demons to obtain the nectar of immortality (Amrit - अमृत). It is said that during this event, drops of the amrita fell at four places on Earth, one of which is Prayagraj, the site of the Triveni Sangam. This legend makes the Sangam a spiritually charged location where bathing can confer the blessings of immortality and liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
Located in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), the holy site of Triveni Sangam has been revered for centuries, and its significance is well-documented in various Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, Puranas, and epics like Ramayan & Mahabharat.
Triveni Sangam in the Vedas: The Vedas (वेद), the oldest and most authoritative scriptures of Hinduism, do not explicitly mention the Triveni Sangam by name. However, they do emphasize the sacredness of rivers the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Saraswati, which are considered divine entities. The Rigveda (ऋग्वेद), the oldest of the four Vedas, praises the Ganga as a life-giving force and a purifier of sins. The Yamuna is also lauded in the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda (अथर्ववेद) for its sanctity and life-sustaining qualities. Although the Saraswati River is now invisible, it was highly revered in the Vedic period. The Rigveda refers to the Saraswati as a powerful and mighty river, symbolizing knowledge, purity, and fertility. The convergence of these rivers, particularly at the Triveni Sangam, is thus seen as the meeting point of the physical and metaphysical realms, a concept deeply rooted in Vedic literature.
Triveni Sangam in the Puranas: The Puranas, a genre of ancient Indian literature that contains religious stories, history, traditions and legends, provide more explicit references to the Triveni Sangam. Among these, the Matsya Purana, the Padma Purana and the Skand Purana are particularly notable. The Matsya Purana (मत्स्य पुराण) extols the Triveni Sangam as a place where the three rivers merge, symbolizing the union of three goddesses—Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. The ‘purana’ narrates that a dip in this confluence during specific auspicious times, such as the Kumbh Mela, can wash away sins accumulated over lifetimes and grant ‘moksha’ (मोक्ष - liberation). The text also describes how the invisible Saraswati joins the Ganga and the Yamuna, adding to the mystical aura of the place. The Padma Purana (पद्म पुराण) goes further in elaborating the spiritual significance of the Triveni Sangam. It suggests that the confluence is the meeting point of three spiritual energies: the ‘ida’ (इड़ा), ‘pingala’ (पिंगला), and ‘sushumna’ (सुषुम्ना) ‘nadis’ (नाड़ी - subtle energy channels within the human body). Bathing in the Sangam is said to awaken these energies, leading to spiritual enlightenment and inner purification. The Skanda Purana (स्कंद पुराण), another significant text, also mentions the Triveni Sangam as a potent ‘tirtha’ (तीर्थ - pilgrimage site). According to this ‘purana’, a pilgrimage to Prayag (modern-day Prayagraj) and a bath in the Sangam is essential for every devout Hindu. The text recounts that even the gods and sages of ancient times visited the Sangam to purify themselves and seek blessings.
Triveni Sangam in Ramayan & Mahabharat: Ramayan and Mahabharat are two most popular and religiously sanctimonious epics containing history, traditions, legends and ancestral knowledge of the Hindu people. The two great Indian epics contain several references to the Triveni Sangam. In these treatise / epics, the confluence is portrayed as a place of immense spiritual power. The Ramayan touches upon the significance of the Sangam. During his exile, Lord Ram, along with Sita and Lakshman, is said to have visited the Triveni Sangam. The Valmiki Ramayan mentions that Ram performed rituals at the confluence to honor his ancestors and seek their blessings. The visit to the Sangam is portrayed as a crucial moment in Ram’s journey, symbolizing the sanctity of the site.
After the Kurukshetra war, the Pandavas undertook a pilgrimage to various holy sites to atone for the sins committed during the war. The Mahabharat narrates that they visited the Triveni Sangam to cleanse themselves of the ‘karmic’ burden of the war. The epic describes the Sangam as a place where the holy rivers, along with numerous sages and deities, converge, making it a powerful spot for penance and purification. Another significant mention of the Triveni Sangam in the Mahabharat comes from Bhishma, the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty. Lying on his deathbed of arrows, Bhishma advises Yudhishthir, the eldest Pandav, to perform rituals at the Triveni Sangam. Bhishma emphasizes that the spiritual potency of the Sangam is unparalleled, and rituals performed here have manifold benefits, including the remission of sins and the attainment of spiritual merit.
Association with Kumbh Mela: The Triveni Sangam is also the focal point of the Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, held every 12 years. According to Hindu astrology, the Kumbh Mela at the Sangam is timed with the alignment of certain planets and the sun, which is believed to enhance the spiritual potency of the waters. Millions of pilgrims come to bathe in the Sangam during this period, believing that it will cleanse their sins and grant them spiritual merit. The association of the Sangam with the Kumbh Mela further cements its status as an auspicious site.
Rituals at Triveni Sangam: Tonsuring, one of the ‘sanskars’ in Hindu Dharma, is known as ‘Chudakaran’ (चूड़ाकरण) and performed in the first or third year of a child. It is carried out primarily either on the banks of a river or sacred pond or a temple. Many devotees come to Sangam to conduct Chudakarn sanskar of their children. The practice then extends to all stages of life. For many Hindu faithful, getting tonsured at Sangam is symbol of their religious devotion and humility. It also is indicative of a devotee’s detachment from the attractions of the physical world around him / her. As per Hindu ‘sanskar’ and last religious rites, after cremation, bones and ashes are immersed into some sacred river, if possible in the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj (Allahabad) or at
Haridwar or
Varanasi
into the Ganga. Ashes of many important national leaders have been immersed in the Sangam in Prayagraj. In 1948, ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were also immersed here. It is believed that taking a dip in Triveni Sangam absolves one of his / her sins and if the ashes of a deceased are immersed here, it imparts ‘moksha’ (salvation).
In nutshell, the Triveni Sangam is considered highly auspicious in Hindu legends due to its association with the confluence of sacred rivers, its role in divine events like the Samudra Manthan, its significance in the Kumbh Mela and frequent mentions in the Vedas, Puranas, epics like the Mahabharat and Ramayan or later texts. The spiritual symbolism of the Sangam, representing the merging of divine energies, makes it a powerful site for those seeking purification, spiritual awakening, and liberation.