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Kumbh Mela
2001 Kumbh Mela at Allahabad
Official name	Kumbh Mela, Maha Kumbha Mela
Observed by	Hindus
Type	Hinduism

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The Triveni Sangam, or the intersection of Yamuna River and Ganges River and the mythical Sarasvati River, where devotees perform rituals.

Kumbh Mela (Devanagari: कुम्भ मेला) is a mass Hindu pilgrimage in which Hindus gather at the Ganges and river Godavari, where bathing for purification from sin is considered especially efficacious.^[1]

The Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Allahabad, the Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place every twelve years,^[2] at four places Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. The Maha (great) Kumbh Mela which comes after 12 'Purna Kumbh Melas', or 144 years, is held at Allahabad.^[2][3]

According to the Mela Administration's estimates, around 70 million people participated in the 45-day Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, in 2007.^[4]

The previous Maha Kumbh Mela, held in 2001, was, before it occurred, estimated by the authorities to attract between 30 and 70 million people.^[5][6][7][8]

Timing[link]

Kumbh Mela is celebrated at different locations depending on the position of the planet of Bṛhaspati (Jupiter) and the sun. When Jupiter and the sun are in the zodiac sign Leo (Singh Rashi) it is held in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik; when the sun is in Aries (Mesha Rashi) it is celebrated at Haridwar; when Jupiter is in Taurus (Vrishabha Rashi ) and the sun is in Capricorn (Makar Rashi) Kumbha Mela is celebrated at Prayag; and Jupiter and the sun are in Scorpio (Vrishchik Rashi) the Mela is celebrated at Ujjain.^[9][10] Each site's celebration dates are calculated in advance according to a special combination of zodiacal positions of Sun, Moon, and Jupiter.^[11]

History[link]

The first written evidence of the Kumbha Mela can be found in the accounts of Chinese traveler, Huan Tsang or Xuanzang (602 - 664 A.D.) who visited India in 629 -645 CE, during the reign of King Harshavardhana.^[12][13] However, the observance dates back many centuries to ancient India's Vedic period, where the river festivals first started getting organised. In Hindu mythology, its origin is found in one of the most popular puranas, the Bhagavata Purana. The Samudra manthan episode (Churning of the ocean of milk), is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana.^[14]

The account goes that the demigods had lost their strength by the curse of Durväsä Muni, and to regain it, they approach Lord Bhrama and Lord Shiva than they directed all demigods to Supreme Personalty of Godhead Lord Visnu^[15] full stroy read this and after praying to Lord Visnu, He instructed them for churning ocean of milk Ksheera Sagara (primordial ocean of milk) for amrita (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 wealth equally thereafter.^[16] 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(Incarnates as Mohini-Mürti) flew away with the Kumbha of elixir spilling drops of amrita at four places: Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik.^[17]

Attendance[link]

According to The Imperial Gazetteer of India, an outbreak of cholera occurred at the 1892 Mela at Haridwar leading to the rapid improvement of arrangements by the authorities and to the formation of Haridwar Improvement Society. In 1903 about 400,000 people are recorded as attending the fair.^[10] During the 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede at Prayag, around 500 people were killed, and scores were injured. Ten million people gathered at Haridwar for the Kumbh on April 14, 1998.^[12]

The 1998 Kumbh Mela saw over 10 million pilgrims visiting Hardwar, to take a dip in the holy Ganges river.^[18] In 2001, around 1 million people from outside of India and from around the world participated in the Maha Kumbh Mela at Allahabad, with a total participation of approximately 60 million. This mela was unusually significant due to the planetary positions at the time, a pattern that repeats only once every 144 years.^[19]

The ritual[link]

Naga Sadhu procession 1998 Kumbh Mela

The major event of the festival is ritual bathing at the banks of the river in whichever town it is being held. Nasik has registered maximum visitors amounted nearly to 75 million. 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.^{[citation needed]} Thousands of holy men and women attend, and the auspiciousness of the festival is in part attributable to this. The sadhus are seen clad in saffron sheets with ashes and powder dabbed on their skin as per the requirements of ancient traditions. Some, called naga sanyasis, may not wear any clothes even in severe winter.^{[citation needed]}

After visiting the Kumbh Mela of 1895, Mark Twain wrote:

Recent Kumbha Melas[link]

1894[link]

According to Paramahansa Yogananda in his work the Autobiography of a Yogi, it was on the Kumbha Mela in January 1894 at Allahabad that his Guru Sri Yukteswar met Mahavatar Babaji for the first time.^[21]

2001[link]

A procession of Akharas marching over a makeshift bridge over the Ganges river, Kumbh Mela at Prayag, 2001

In 2001, the Kumbh Mela was held in Prayag, aka Allahabad. The India government estimates that about 70 million people came to this festival in north India to bathe in the holy river Ganges where it meets with the also holy Yamuna river. Bathing in the holy waters at this auspicious time is said to wash away your karmic debt. Therefore, it is literally a shortcut to spiritual liberation (moksha), the liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

2003[link]

When the Kumbha 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. 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.^[22][23]

2007[link]

More than 30 million people visited Ardh Kumbh Mela at Prayag.

2010[link]

Haridwar hosted the Purna Kumbha mela from Makar Sankranti (14 January 2010) to Shakh Purnima Snan (28 April 2010). Millions of Hindu pilgrims attended the mela. On April 14, 2010, alone approximately 10 million people bathed in the Ganges river.^[24] According to officials by mid April about 40 million people had bathed since January 14, 2010.^[25] Hundreds of foreigners joined Indian pilgrims in the festival which is thought to be the largest religious gathering in the world.^[25][26] To accommodate the large number of pilgrims Indian Railways ran special trains.^[27] At least 5 people died in a stampede after clashes between holy men and devotees.^[28]

Indian Space Research Organisation took satellite pictures of the crowds with the hope of improving the conduct of the festival in the future.^[29]

Future Venues[link]

• Upcoming Kumbh Mela festivals will be held in Allahabad in 2013 (January 27th to February 25th), Nasik in 2015 (August 15th to September 13th), and Ujjain in 2016 (April 22nd to May 21st).^[30]

• The Purna Kumbha Mela will again be held at Prayag in the year 2013 (January 27 to February 25)

Here is the details of most auspicious days (Bathing Dates)in year 2013 during Maha Kumbh Festival (mela). ^[31]

27 January 2013(Sunday) – Paush Purnima

6 February 2013 (Wednesday) – Ekadashi Snan

10 February 2013 (Sunday) – Mauni Amavasya Snan (Main Bathing Day)

15 February 2013 (Friday) – Basant Panchami Snan

17 February 2013 (Sunday) – Rath Saptami Snan

18 February 2013(Monday) – Bhisma Ekadashi Snan

25 February 2013(Monday) – Maghi Purnima Snan

• Nasik will host the Kumbha Mela in 2015 (Also Known as Simhasth at Nashik as Guru is in Sigh Rashi) (August 15 to September 13)
• Ujjain Purna Kumbh Mela 2016 (April 22 to May 21)

Kumbha Mela in Media[link]

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) directed by Graham Day,^[32] On 24 Sept, The Hindu reported the great faith in god displayed in kumbh mela at Nasik which had more than 70 million visitors in 2003 kumbh mela. (2004), by Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day,^[33][34] Kumbh Mela: Songs of the River (2004), by Nadeem Uddin,^[35] and Invocation, Kumbha Mela (2008) ^[36]

On April 18, 2010, a popular American morning show The CBS Sunday Morning gave an extensive coverage on Haridwar's Kumbh Mela "The Largest Pilgrimage on Earth". Calling it "one of the most extraordinary displays of faith on Earth, a spectacular journey drawing tens of millions of people".

Short Cut to Nirvana: Kumbh Mela is a 2004 documentary film was set in the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela at Allahabad. This film is directed by Nick Day and produced by "Maurizio Benazzo"^[37]

On April 28, 2010, BBC reported an audio and a video report on Kumbh Mela, titled "Kumbh Mela 'greatest show on earth'.

On September 30, 2010, the Kumbh Mela featured in the second episode of the Sky One TV series "An Idiot Abroad" with Karl Pilkington visiting the festival.

See also[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Kumbh Mela

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Mahatma Gandhi at Kumbha Mela, 1915

• Mahamaham
• Ganga Sagar
• 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede
• Pushkaram
• List of largest gatherings in history

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Kumbha Mela: History and Religion, Astronomy and Cosmobiology, by Subas Rai. Published by Ganga Kaveri Pub. House, 1993. ISBN 81-85694-01-X.
• The Kumbh Mela, by Mark Tully (Author), Richard Lannoy (Photographer), Ashok Mahendra (Photographer). Indica Books. 2002. ISBN 81-86569-22-7.
• Kumbha Mela, by Jack Hebner. Published by Transition Vendor, 2003. ISBN 1-886069-90-5.
• Nashik Kumbh Mela: A Spiritual Sojourn, by Govind Swarup. India Book House Ltd, 2006. ISBN 81-7508-379-4.
• Pilgrimage and Power: The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, 1765-1954, by Kama Maclean. Oxford University Press, USA. 2008. ISBN 0-19-533894-4.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kumbha Mela

• Official website of Kumbha mela 2010
• Kumbh Mela Haridwar
• Haridwar
• Mahakumbh Mela
• Mela Photographs and Shahi Snaan at the Kumbh
• World's Largest Act of Faith
• Video of 2010 Maha Kumbh Mela in Haridwar from Guardian.co.uk
• Kumbh Mela 2010, Haridwar Photographs
• Maha Kumbh Festival