Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela
One of the many festivities India is famous for is the famous Kumbh Mela of Uttar Pradesh. This is an event that is held once in three years, in rotation in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. Of the four destinations, it is the Kumbh Mela that is celebrated in Allahabad that is considered to be the most important one. Due to the rotation, Kumbh Mela is celebrated in Allahabad once in 12 years. The Kumbh Mela of Uttar Pradesh or the Maha Kumbh is held in the month of Magh in the Hindu calendar; or in the months of Feb-March in the English calendar. Till today, the famous Kumbh Mela is the largest fair, with the largest conglomeration of humans in the world. In fact, in the last Kumbh Mela of UP, a staggering 15 million people dipped at the confluence in a single day. The confluence of the rivers Ganges, Saraswati and Yamuna is where the famous Kumbh Mela is organized. According to Hindu mythology, Kumbh Mela was started with the very creation. Hindu deities had asked the demons for help in churning the ocean to centrifuge ‘Nectar’ to make them immortal. However on getting this nectar, these deities did not give any to the demons and instead, hid it in the four places the famous Kumbh Mela is held. The main Kumbh falls on Mauni Amavasya while other important bathing days are Paush Purnima, Makar Sankranti, Maghi Purnima, Vasant Panchmi and Maha Shivaratri. Allahabad also experiences the Ardh Kumbh Mela that is held every 6th year, in the month of Magh. Today, the famous Kumbh Mela of Uttar Pradesh is famous in the world as ‘the world’s most massive act of faith’ because pilgrims from all walks of life, from all over the world attend this event with great faith. These people believe that just by bathing in the river Ganges during the Kumbh Mela of Uttar Pradesh that one gets freed of their past sins; and thus get liberated from the cycle of birth and death. Pilgrims who come here have to maintain a pure lifestyle after taking a bath here to avoid being burdened by karmic reactions. It is only after tolerating many physical discomforts like sleeping in the open air in near freezing weather that they get maximum benefits from dipping in the Ganges.