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Introduction
Kumbh Mela is the sacred pilgrimage of Hindu that is held in four sacred religious centers. It is organized four times every twelve years, once at the four locations meant for it. The Maha Kumbh Mela is attended by millions of devotees making it one of the largest pilgrimage gatherings all over the world. The Mela begins with Puasa Purnima and ends with Magh Purnima.
Location of the Kumbh Mela
The Kumbha Mela is held in the following locations:
- Prayag (near Allahabad; Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.
- Haridwar (Uttrakhand) where the river Ganga enters the plains from Himalayas.
- Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) on the banks of Ksipra River.
- Nasik (Maharashtra) on the banks of Godavari River.
Legend Associated with Kumbha Mela
According to the Hindu Scriptures, the Gods and Demons had an agreement of obtaining “Amrita” (the nectar of immortality) from the Milky Ocean and share them equally. A great stirring of Ocean was done which gave out many invaluable things including “Kumbha of Amrita”; pitcher of nectar. The demons ran away with the Kumbha. The Gods chase them and a great war of twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) was fought between the Gods and the Demons. In the battle four drops of Amrita fell on three different places named Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. The Kumbha Mela is held on these four destinations where the Amrita fell.
Activities
Millions of pilgrims gather on the locations of Kumbha Mela. The holy dip in the river is the major event of the Mela. The dip in the water is considered to be very auspicious as it is believed that all the human sin is washed away in the holy water. The Mela is abundant with thousand of Sadhus lost in their spiritual mediations. Religious discussions, devotional singing, mass feeding of monks, women and poor are some of the other activities of the Kumbha Mela. The gathering on the Mela has no equivalent any where in the world as no where people of such magnitude come on a single place on the earth for religious discourses.
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