Kumbh Mela (Devanagari: कुम्भ मेला) is a mass Hindu pilgrimage.

The Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place at four places (Prayag (Allahabad),
Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik) after every twelve years,[1] while the Ardh Kumbh
Mela is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Prayag. [2] Over 45 days
beginning in January 2007, more than 17 million Hindu pilgrims took part in the
Ardh Kumbh Mela at Prayag, and on January 15, the most auspicious day of the
festival of Makar Sankranti, more than 5 million participated.[3]

The Maha Kumbh Mela ('Great' Kumbh Mela) which comes after 12 'Purna
Kumbh Melas' which is after every 144 years is also held at Allahabad [1][4][5]. The
2001, Maha Kumbh Mela was attended by around 60 million people, making it the
largest gathering anywhere in the world [6][7][8][9].

Contents

[hide]

 1 Timing
 2 Etymology
 3 History
 4 The Ritual
o 4.1 Kalpavãsa VratÂ
 5 Recent Kumbh Melas
o 5.1 1894
o 5.2 2001
o 5.3 2003
o 5.4 2004
o 5.5 2007
 5.5.1 Important bathing dates
o 5.6 2010
 5.6.1 Bathing dates
 6 Future Venues
 7 Kumbh Mela in Media
 8 Gallery
 9 See also
 10 Further reading
 11 References
  12 External links

[edit] Timing

Kumbha Mela is a mammoth fair where saints and devotees gather. Kumbha Mela
is celebrated at the aforesaid four places depending on the positions of planets and
stars. According to Indian astrology, it is celebrated when the planet of Bṛhaspati
(Jupiter) moves into the zodiac sign of Aquarius or Kumbha And Sun enters Aries.
When Jupiter (Guru) and Sun are in zodiac signLeo(Simha Rashi) it is celebrated
in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik. When Sun is in zodiac sign Aries (Mesha Rashi) it is
celebrated at Haradwar When Jupiter is in zodiac sign Taurus (Vrishabha Rashi )
and Sun is in zodiac sign Capricorn (Makar Rashi) Kumbha Mela is celebrated at
Prayag When Guru and Sun are in zodiac sign scorpio (Vrishchik Rashi) the Mela
is celebrated at Ujjain. [10][11]. Each site's celebration dates are calculated in advance
according to a special combination of zodiacal positions of Sun, Moon, and Jupiter
[12]
.

[edit] Etymology

Kumbha is a Sanskrit word for Pitcher (actually a roundish pot with no handles),
sometimes referred to as the Kalasha, it is also a zodiac sign in Indian astrology for
Aquarius, the sign under which the festival is celebrated, while Mela means 'a
gathering' or 'a meet', or simply a fair.

[edit] History

Kurma Avatar of Vishnu, below Mount Mandara, with Vasuki wrapped around it,
during Samudra manthan, the churning of the ocean of milk. ca 1870 painting.

The observance of Kumbh Mela dates back many centuries in Ancient India to the
Vedic period, where the river festivals first started getting organised. In Hindu
mythology, its origin is found in one of the popular creation myths and the Hindu
theories on evolution, the Samudra manthan episode (Churning of the ocean of
milk), which finds mention in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, the
Mahabharata, and the Ramayana [13].

The Gods had lost their strength, and to regain it, they thought of churning the
Ksheera Sagara (primordial ocean of milk) for amrit (the nectar of immortality),
this required them to make a temporary agreement with their arch enemies, the
demons or Asuras, to work together with a promise of sharing the nectar equally
thereafter [14]. However, when the Kumbha (urn) containing the amrita appeared, a
fight ensued. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human
years) the gods and demons fought in the sky for the pot of amrita. It is believed
that during the battle, Lord Vishnu flew away with the Kumbha of elixir, and that
is when drops of amrita fell at four places on earth: Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and
Nashik, and that is where the Kumbh Mela is observed every twelve years [15].

First written evidence of the Kumbha Mela can be found in the accounts of
Chinese traveller, Huan Tsang or Xuanzang (602 - 664 A.D.) who visited India in
629 -645 CE, during the reign of King Harshavardhana [16][17][18] According to The
Imperial Gazetteer of India, an outbreak of cholera occurred at the 1892 Mela at
Haridwar, which lead to the rapid improvement of arrangements by the authorities
and the formation of Haridwar Improvement Society, and in 1903 about 400,000
people attended the fair [11]. During the 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede at Allahabad,
around 500 people were killed, and scores were injured. Ten million people
gathered at Haridwar for the Kumbh on April 14, 1998 [16].

See also: 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede

The 1998 Kumbh Mela saw over 10 million pilgrims visiting Hardwar, to take a
dip in the holy river, Ganga [19]. In 2001, around 1 million people from outside of
India and from around the world participated in the 'Maha Kumbh Mela' at Prayag
(Allahabad), with a total participation of approximately 60 million. The dates for
this mela were special due to the planetary positions that repeat only once in 144
years [20]. In 2007, over 60 million people are expected [21] to have attended the holy
gathering.

[edit] The Ritual

Naga Sadhu procession 1998 Kumbh Mela - Photo by Stefania Zamparelli

Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, 1850s

Kumbh Mela is attended by millions of people on a single day. The major event of
the festival is a ritual bath at the banks of the rivers in each town. Other activities
include religious discussions, devotional singing, mass feeding of holy men and
women and the poor, and religious assemblies where doctrines are debated and
standardized.

Kumbh Mela is the most sacred of all the pilgrimages. Thousands of holy men and
women (monks, saints and sadhus) attend, and the auspiciousness of the festival is
in part attributable to this. The sadhus are seen clad in saffron sheets with plenty of
ashes and powder dabbed on their skin per the requirements of ancient traditions.
Some called naga sanyasis may often be seen without any clothes even in severe
winter, generally considered to live an extreme lifestyle. After visiting the Kumbh
Mela of 1895, Mark Twain wrote:

“ It is wonderful, the power of a faith like that, that can make multitudes upon ”
multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter without
hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and endure the
resultant miseries without repining. It is done in love, or it is done in fear; I
do not know which it is. No matter what the impulse is, the act born of it is
 beyond imagination, marvelous to our kind of people, the cold whites.[22]

[edit] Kalpavãsa VratÂ

A unique feature of the Indian Bathing Festivals - Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela, Magha
Mela, Etc. is that of the Kalpavãsis - those undergoing the Kalpavãsa VratÂ, who
present a scene of Vãnaprasthãshrama Dharma (retired forest life prescribed in the
Vedas for couples). The Kalpavãsis spend the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela living an
austere and minimalistic life.

Most of them stay in thatched huts, sleep on sandy river beds, listen to discourses,
assimilate the essence of Dharma, and give alms. Some of them bathe in the holy
river thrice daily and eat only once.

These are general guidelines, however, we understand that modern urban life is
very demanding and has become highly mechanical. Many of us may neither have
the time nor the inclination to fulfil the extreme form of austerities performed by
the Traditional Kalpavãsis (some of them take a vow at every single Kumbh
(Kumbh) Mela, which roughly falls once every three years).

The idea is to get away from the everyday mundane existence and observe and
absorb the true meaning of life by the learning from the religious gurus, interacting
with other Kalpavãsis, experiencing the cultures, traditions, and heritage from
every part of India at one single place and maintaining a single minded devotion to
the understanding of Absolute-Truth.[23]

[edit] Recent Kumbh Melas

[edit] 1894

A procession of Akharas marching over a makeshift bridge over the Ganga river,
Kumbh Mela at Allahabad, 2001
According to Paramahansa Yogananda in his work the Autobiography of a Yogi, it
was on the Kumbha Mela in January 1894 at Prayag that his Guru Sri Yukteswar
met Mahavatar Babaji for the first time.[24].

[edit] 2001

In 2001, Kumbhmela was held in Prayag. It is estimated that about 60 million

people took a bath in the river Ganges on the occasion. It was extraordinary in
terms of arrangement and discipline.[neutrality is disputed]

[edit] 2003

When the Kumbh Mela was held in Nashik, India, from July 27 to September 7,
2003, 39 pilgrims (28 women and 11 men) were trampled to death and 57 were
injured (keeping in mind that the number of devotees attending the fair was around
5 million). Devotees had gathered on the banks of the Godavari river for the maha
snaan or holy bath. Over 30,000 pilgrims were being held back by barricades in a
narrow street leading to the Ramkund, a holy spot, so the sadhus could take the
first ceremonial bath. Reportedly, a sadhu threw some silver coins into the crowd
and the subsequent scramble led to the stampede.[25][26]

[edit] 2004

The Simhastha Kumbh at Ujjain, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, is
an event which devout Hindus await for 12 years at a time. The month-long
congregation brings together millions of people from across India and abroad.
Driven by faith and the quest for inner peace, they converge on this holy city to be
a part of a unique bathing festival. Braving the scorching sun of April-May, the
devotees enjoy the company of seers and saints, listen to religious discourses,
witness the Ramlilas and Raslilas, visit the various “akharas”, watch the grand
processions of “sadhus”, and take holy dips in the Sipra river. They imbibe the
spirit of the devotion-filled ambience where Lord Shiva is omnipresent. The sea of
humanity gets harmonized into a single entity, overcoming all divisive thoughts.
To them this is a lifetime experience.

Bath Calendar The Ujjain Simhastha began with the first "shahi snan" (royal bath)
on April 5, 2004, Chaitra Shukla Purnima, Monday, Vikrami Samvat 2061. It will
end with the third shahi snan on May 4 corresponding to Vaishakh Shukla
Purnima, Thursday, Vikrami Samvat 2061. In between, there would be the second
shahi snan on April 22, 2004, Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya, Thursday, Vikrami Samvat
2061. Besides, the two parva snans would be on April 19, 2004, Vaishakh Krishna
Amavasya, Monday, Vikrami Samvat 2061 and on April 24, 2004, Vaishakh
Shukla Panchami, Saturday, Vikrami Samvat 2061.

The Holy Dip in Sipra The significance of a bath in the Sipra can be gauged from a
verse in the Skanda Purana. According to it “The holy bath of the Kumbh equals in
piety to thousands of Kartik snans, hundred Magh snans and crores of Narmada
snans during the month of Vaishakh. The fruits of Kumbh snan are equal to the
fruits of thousands of Ashvamedh Yajna and lakhs of journeys around the earth”.
Elaborate arrangements have been made for the convenience of pilgrims.

The History & Geography of Ujjain Ujjain, the city of Mahakal, previously known
as Avanti, Kushsthali, Kanashringa, Bhaumvati, Padmavati, Pratikalpa, Amaravati,
Vishala, Avantika and Ujjayani is considered to be among the holiest cities in
India. The only south-facing idol of Mahakaleshwar, regarded as the God of all the
deities and demons alike, is situated at Ujjain. The Adi Purana describes Ujjain as
the most sacred city on the earth. The city has been a seat of learning where all
disciplines of knowledge have flourished since time immemorial.

Situated along the banks of the Sipra, the city has been eulogized by great poets
like Vedavyasa and Kalidasa. Vikramaditya, the legendary emperor, ruled the city
with his famous Navratnas (nine jewels) including Kalidasa, Shanku, Dhanvantari,
Betalbhatta, Varruchi, Varahmihir, Kshapdak, Ghatkarpar and Amar Singh who
epitomised different branches of knowledge.

Ujjain is located on the Tropic of Cancer, the prime meridian of India. The Vikram
Samvatsar originated in this ancient city. According to Nobel laureate economist
Amartya Sen, “there is something very striking about the consistency of Ujjain’s
dominance in Indian time accounting.” The city was an important centre of
astronomy in the Gupta period. Varahmihir, the renowned astronomer, had worked
in Ujjain. In the 18th century, Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur constructed the famous
observatory at Ujjain to encourage astronomical studies and to popularize
astronomy amongst the people

[edit] 2007

Every six years there is an Ardh Kumbh Mela at Prayag (also known as
Allahabad). The actual dates are dependent on stellar constellations and were
announced as below:

[edit] Important bathing dates

  3 Jan (Paush Purnima)
 14 Jan (Makar Sankranti)
 19 Jan (Mauni Amavasya)
 23 Jan (Basant Panchami)
 2 Feb (Magh Purnima)

[edit] 2010

Haridwar will host the Purna Kumbha mela from Makar Sankranti (14th January
2010) to Shakh Purnima Snan (28th April 2010)

[edit] Bathing dates

 14 January 2010 (Thursday) - Makar Sankranti Snan - First Snan

(translation: bath)
 15 January 2010 (Friday) - Mauni Amavasya and Surya Grahan (translation:
Solar Eclipse) - Second Snan
 20 January 2010 (Wedesday) - Basant Panchmi Snan - Third snan
 30 January 2010 (Saturday) - Magh Purnima Snan - Fourth Snan
 12 February 2010 (Friday) - Maha Shivratri - Pratham Shahi Snan
(translation: First Royal Bath).
 15 March 2010 (Monday) - Somvati Amavasya - Dvitya Shahi Snan
(translation: Second Royal Bath).
 16 March 2010 (Tuesday) - Navsatrambh Snan
 24 March 2010 (Wednesday) - Ram Navmi - Fifth Snan
 30 March 2010 (Tuesday) - Chaitra purnima Snan
 14 April 2010 (Wednesday) - Baisakhi - Pramukh Shahi Snan (translation:
Main Royal Bath).
 28 April 2010 (Wednesday) - Shakh Purnima - Snan

[edit] Future Venues

 The Purna Kumbha Mela will again be held at Prayag in the year 2013
(January 27 to February 25)
 Nasik will host the Ardha Kumbha Mela in 2015 (August 15 to September
13)
  Ujjan Purna Kumbh Mela 2016 (Also Known as Simhasth @ Ujjain) (April
22 to May 21)

[edit] Kumbh Mela in Media

Amrita Kumbher Sandhane, a 1982 Bengali feature film directed by Dilip Roy,
documents the Kumbh Mela. Kumbha Mela has been theme for many a
documentaries, including "Kumbh Mela: The Greatest Show on Earth" (2001) by
[27]
, (2004), by Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day [28][29], Kumbh Mela: Songs of the
River (2004), by Nadeem Uddin[30], and Invocation, Kumbha Mela (2008) [31]

Bollywood movies often jokingly refer to Kumbh Mela as a place where the
character lost his/her twin brother/sister. The most common script line being in
Hindi "Hum bachpan me kumbh ke mele me kho gaye the". This is a common
parody in recent times, being an effect of many movies using this lost-and-found
device in the past.