Samudra Manthan: the churning of the ocean
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Devas and asuras churn the ocean of milk for the nectar of immortality, with Mount Mandara as the rod and the serpent Vasuki as the rope.
Source: Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana and the Mahabharata
Festivals
- Kumbh Mela
- Dhanteras (Dhanvantari Jayanti)
The lesson
Great rewards come from joint effort and patience, and someone must be willing to take on the poison for the good of all.
Bhagwan Vishnu, as Kurma the tortoise, holds up the mountain. First comes halahala, a deadly poison, which Bhagwan Shiva drinks to save the world. His throat turns blue, so he is called Neelkanth. Then come treasures, among them Goddess Lakshmi, the wish-granting cow Kamadhenu, and Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, carrying the pot of amrit.
Drops of amrit are said to have fallen at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, the four sites of the Kumbh Mela.