Stories and scenes from Hindu religious texts are staged in different places. During Kumbh Mela, millions of devotees live in a tent city. Har-ki-Pauri is the main bathing ghat and it is believed that by bathing here all sins are cleansed. After all these groups have bathed, other people will take their turn. Then the saints take their dip in the Ganges followed by sadhus in groups in a particular sequence. As the saints pass by, they impart blessings of divine grace to all the people. On the main bathing dates, there will be a magnificent procession of saints on chariots and elephants at sunrise. With the demigods at Vasuki’s tail and the demons at his head, they churned the milky ocean for one thousand years! As the churning began, the Mandara Mountain began to sink deep into the ocean, at which time Lord Vishnu incarnated as a Kurma (tortoise) and supported the mountain on His back. For the task of churning the milky ocean, the Mandara Mountain was used as the churning rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the rope for churning. The Samudra Manthan episode finds its mention in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata and Ramayana.Īccording to the Puranas, the gods and the demons fought over the Kumbha of Amrit, the elixir that rose up from their joint churning of the milky ocean. The observance of Kumbh Mela dates back to the Vedic period when the river festivals first started. Hence Kumbha Mela means festival of the pot. Kumbha in Sanskrit means 'pot’ or ‘pitcher’ and Mela means festival. Kumbha Mela derives its name from the immortal Pot of Nectar described in Vedic scriptures. The gods sought help from the demons, and together they churned the primordial ocean to bring up the nectar. Lord Brahma, the creator, advised them to retrieve the Kumbh containing Amrit, the nectar of immortality. Mythological legends say that at the beginning of creation, all the Gods were under a curse that made them weak and cowardly. Worshippers bathe early in the morning at the ghats and participate in the spectacular Ganga Arti (worship of the River Ganges with lamps) in the evenings.
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Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. It has the largest number of temples and is considered to be the gateway to the abode of Gods, as it provides the entry point to the Char Dham (four main centres of pilgrimage) in Uttarakhand, viz.
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Situated on the foothills of Shivaliks, Haridwar is the first place where the Holy Ganges meets the plains, after coming down from the Himalayas. Haridwar, the venue for the Kumbha Mela is one of the seven holiest places to Hindus and is considered to be blessed by Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The last Maha Kumbh Mela held in 2001 was attended by around 60 million people, making it the largest gathering anywhere in the world! It comes after 12 Purna Kumbh Melas which is after every 144 years and is held at Allahabad. Each twelve-year cycle includes the Maha Kumbha Mela at Prayag.
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The next Kumbha Mela will be in 2025.īathing in these rivers during the Kumbha Mela is seen as an act of great merit, cleansing body and soul. The auspicious bathing dates this year are: January 14, 27, February 6, 10, 15, 17, 18, 25 and March 10.The Kumbh Mela commenced on Januand will end on February 25, 2013. People from different parts of India and from abroad converge at these places to bathe on the auspicious occasion known as Kumbh Snan Yoga. People assemble here to bathe in the holy rivers daily and on specified bathing days known as Snan Parvs. Kumbha Mela is a riverside religious fair held four times every 12 years, rotating between Haridwar on the Ganges, Ujjain on the Sipra, Nasik on the Godavari and Allahabad which lies at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati river. It is like an open university on religion.Īccording to Indian astrology, it takes place when the planet Jupiter enters Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries. Kumbh Mela at Allahabad is the biggest spectacle of faith wherein different cultures, religions, schools of thoughts come together and share information and knowledge. Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of humanity on the earth and a unique event that blends religious and social features of Indian society.
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Kumbha Mela- Largest gathering in the world