About Maha Kumbh Mela |
| Event | Maha Kumbh Mela |
| Location | Allahabad |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Category | Festival |
| Date | Jan 15, 2024 to Mar 08, 2024 |
| Main Attraction | The massive gathering and the ceremonial dip in the holy river. |
| Overview/History | The Maha (great) Kumbh Mela is celebrated after 12 'Purna Kumbh Melas' or 144 years and is held at Prayagraj (Allahabad). The Purna (complete) Kumbh is celebrated every 12 years at four places Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. The Ardh (Half) Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 6 years at Haridwar and Allahabad. The Maha Kumbh Mela has a compelling influence over the Indians as it is the largest human gathering in history for a same cause on a single day irrespective of any worldly barriers of caste, creed, color and religion. It's a once in a lifetime experience witnessing millions of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world come together in this spectacle of Faith. This festival witnesses the ritual bathing in sacred water saturated with flower, incense and fragrance amidst chanting of Vedic hymns and mantras. It is believed to liberate one from all miseries and suffering of life. The ceremonial dip in the Holy River is an important ritual and it is believed that bathing on the auspicious days cleanses one of all sins and achieves Moksha (liberation from the cycle of life, death and rebirth). |
| Celebration | One of the most important activities for all pilgrims in the Kumbh Mela is to undertake a dip in holy waters to wash away their sins. People bathe where the river Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati converge. The point is referred as Sangam. Each day during the Kumbh Mela is auspicious for bathing. However, some dates have special significance and are considered most auspicious. Following are the auspicious dates for Maha Khumb Mela 2019:
The main dates when the Sadhus (holy men) bathe (also known as the Royal Bath) are January 14, February 4 and February 10. All sects of Sadhus will arrive in the area by January 12, 2019 and will leave by the last bathing date. The majority of people left taking a dip will be locals. Hence, there will not be a lot to see towards the end of the Mela. |
