Kumbha Mela

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Kumbha (Kumbha means pot) Mela is a sacred pilgrimage

that takes place at the following four locations of

India

 

Prayag (near the city of Allahabad, in the state of

Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of three rivers Ganga

(Ganges), Yamuna and Saraswati Haridwar (in the state

of Uttar Pradesh) where the river Ganga enters the

plains from Himalayas Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh), on

the banks of Ksipra river, and Nasik (in Maharashtra)

on the banks of Godavari river.

 

The pilgrimage occurs four times every twelve years,

once at each of the four locations. Each twelve-year

cycle includes the Maha (great) Kumbha Mela at Prayag,

attended by millions of people, making it the largest

pilgrimage gathering around the world.

 

The observance of Kumbha Mela is based upon the

following story : thousands of years ago, perhaps in

the Vedic period, demigods and demons made a temporary

agreement to work together in obtaining amrita (the

nectar of immortality) from the Milky Ocean, and to

share this equally. However, when the Kumbha (pot)

containing the amrita appeared, the demons ran away

with the pot and were chased by the demigods. For

twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve

human years) the demigods and demons fought in the sky

for the possession of this pot of amrita. It is said

that during the battle, drops of amrita fell on to

four places : Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik.

Thus, Kumbha mela is observed at these four locations

where the nectar fell.

 

Kumbha Mela is attended by millions of people on a

single day. A ritual bath at a predetermined time and

place is the major event of this festival. Other

activities include religious discussions, devotional

singing, mass feeding of holy men/women and the

poor, and religious assemblies where doctrines are

debated and standardized.

 

Kumbha Mela (especially the Maha Kumbha Mela) is the

most sacred of all the pilgrimages. Thousands of holy

men/women (monks, saints, sadhus) grace the occasion

by

their presence. The auspiciousness of Kumbha Mela is

in part attributed to the gathering of thousands of

holy men/women at one place on earth

 

According to astrologers, the 'Kumbh Fair' takes place

when the planet Jupiter enters Aquarius and the Sun

enters Aries.

 

[Adopted from Bansi Pandit : The Hindu Mind]

 

 

 

 

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