Melaat Allahabad. In 1989, the Kumbha
Mela drew 15 million people on a single
day, and millions more during the
month of the festival.
Mena
In Hindu mythology, the wife of the
minor deity Himalaya, and the mother
of Parvati, the goddess. Mena christens
her daughter, Uma, through her excla-
mation “U Ma!” (“Oh, don’t!”) when
Parvati announces her desire to make
the god Shivaher husband. The Shiva
Puranadetails Mena’s initial discomfi-
ture with her unconventional son-in-
law, yet later suggests Shiva as the
paradigm for the ideal husband, since
he is completely devoted to his wife.
Menaka
In Hindu mythology, a beautiful celestial
maiden (apsara), who is a minion of
Indra, the king of the gods. Menaka’s
primary function is to seduce sages
threatening to replace Indra as the ruler
of heaven. In traditional Indian culture,
semen is seen as the concentrated
essence of a man’s vital energies; celibacy
is a means to conserve and retain these
energies. Menaka’s powers of attraction
are used to seduce these ascetics,
diminishing their accumulated spiritual
powers. Her most notable partner is the
sage Vishvamitra, who is twice smitten
by her charms. Their first liaison
results in the birth of the maiden
Shakuntala, celebrated in the drama
Abhijnanashakuntala, written by the
poet Kalidasa. During their second liai-
son, Vishvamitra lives with Menaka for
ten years, before leaving her for renun-
ciant life in the forest.
Menstruation
In traditional Hindu culture all bodily
discharges are considered to be a source
of ritual impurity (ashaucha). Women
are considered ritually unclean during
their menstrual periods; menstrual
fluid is considered a source of impurity.
However, menstruation is also
considered a sign of auspiciousnessor
good fortune, since it indicates women’s
reproductive capacities. The ritual
observances and taboos for menstruat-
ing women vary widely between differ-
ing social groups. In some groups,
women are subject to only a few restric-
tions, such as a ban on entering temples
during that time. In other groups,
women are expected to confine them-
selves to certain parts of the house and
to refrain from everyday activities such
as cooking. Although such strict practice
sounds oppressive, for many women
this interval was prized as a monthly
respite from their everyday duties,
which would be performed by the other
women in the household.Mercury
In Hindu astrology (jyotisha), a planet
associated with mental quickness,
memory, and education, based on its
short orbit around the sun. Despite
these generally positive features,
Mercury is considered a weak planet,
easily influenced toward benevolence
and malevolence by other planets,
or by its position in the natal
horoscope(janampatrika). Mercury’s
association with the mind suggests that
the mind’s powers can be harnessed for
either good or evil ends. During the
week, Mercury is said to rule over
Wednesday; this day is not heavily
marked as auspicious or inauspicious,
reflecting the planet’s light powers.Mercury
(2) Elemental mercury is a pivotal
substance in Indian alchemy. Hindu
alchemy analyzes the world as a series
of bipolar opposites in tension with
one another. Unifying these opposing
forces brings spiritual progress and
end of reincarnation (samsara). This
model of uniting or transcending
opposing forces is shared with Hindu
tantra, a secret, ritually-based religious
practice. This theme is shared with
hatha yoga, which is based on a seriesMena