Kumbh Mela – Powerful Mélange of Faith and Humanity!

They will come by millions! Some will arrive on overcrowded trains carrying five times their normal capacity. Some will come by bus, by car, some by ox drawn carts, and others will ride on horses, camels, and even elephants. The rich and famous will charter private planes and helicopters, while the less affluent will come on foot carrying their bedrolls and cooking equipment in heavy bundles on their heads. Wave after wave, they will form a veritable river of humanity that will flow onto the banks of the Ganga at Allahabad to celebrate the greatest spiritual festival ever held in the history of the world, the Kumbh Mela.

Kumbh Mela is the world’s largest human gathering where millions and millions of Hindu pilgrims gather at one of the four auspicious locations in search of salvation with unshakable faith that no language in this world will ever be able to describe in words. Kumbh is a Sanskrit word for ‘pitcher’ (also known as Kalash in Hindi) and Mela is a Hindi word meaning ‘a fair’ or ‘a meet’ or ‘a gathering’.

Myth Behind Kumbh Mela

According to Hinduism, after 1000 years of Samudra Manthan (churning of the sea) by Gods and Demons (Asuras), the Amrita or the elixir of immortality was brought by Dhanwantari in a Kumbh. 

Gods did not want to give that to Demons and conspired against them. The Demons learned about the conspiracy and chased the Gods for 12 days and 12 nights. 12 days for Gods was equal to 12 years for humans. During this chase, four drops of Amrita fell on four places – Nasik, Ujjain, Haridwar and Prayag (now renamed as Allahabad). Since then Kumbh Mela is held at each of these places every 3 years.

Understand the Meaning of Humanity

The Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of humanity.  100 millon people attended the Kumbh at Prayag in 2013! That is 1/10 of India’s population!  All other congregations pale in comparison with the Kumbh. The term ‘roughing’ takes a whole different meaning in the Kumbh. The sea of humanity, the ocean of tents, the colourful flags, lakhs of pilgrims taking a dip in the water, the smell of the smoke from the holy fires, the beautiful sunrise all these will restore your love for humanity.

How do so many millions of people live so peacefully in such a small place with so little?  You will realize that over population is not the problem of the world.  It is our lack of tolerance. When you learn the secret of co-existence in the Kumbh, you carry it wherever you go and you become an embodiment of that same energy

What happens at the Kumbh Mela?

Kumbh Mela is associated with ritual bathing. Pilgrims bathe at banks of the holy river that flows through the place where the Kumbh Mela is held. Apart from this, the Mela is also associated with mass feeding of poor and holy men. Another important event of the Mela is the religious assembly where religious conviction are debated, questioned and then standardized.

Experience the Power of Water

Dr Masaru Emoto has shown through innumerable experiments that our thoughts affect water. Pure thoughts of devotion and love when expressed near a glass of water makes it pure and  changes the very chemical properties of the water.  

When millions gather at the Kumbh, their devotion turns the very water into Amrit – the nectar of immortality. Having a dip in this water literally cleanses all your sins. Sins are incomplete ideas that you store in your system due to the lack of energy to look into them. The energy field of the kumbh will literally blast them away – like the Ganga flowing into a small stagnant pond!

Holy Rivers Associated with Kumbh Mela

At Haridwar, the holy river is the Ganga. At Nasik, it is river Godavari. At Ujjain, it is river Shipra and at Prayag or Allahabad, it is the Sangam or confluence of three rivers Yamuna, Ganga and Saraswati – the mythical river.

Participants in Kumbh Mela?
Kumbh Mela is not for a particular section of society. It is open to all – rich and poor, men, women and children, young and old all participate equally. Saffron clad sadhus with vibhuti ashes dabbed all over their body speak of Hindu traditions. Naga Sanyasis attract a lot of attention at this mela. Naga Sanyasis are ascetics who stay stark naked even during extreme winters.

Associated Astronomy
Timing for Kumbh Mela is dependent on the celestial positions of Jupiter and Sun. It is held at Nasik when the two are in Leo. It is held at Ujjain when Sun enters Aries and Jupiter enters Leo. Kumbh Mela is held at Haridwar when Sun enters Aries and Jupiter enters Aquarius. It is held at Allahabad when Sun enters Capricorn and Jupiter enters either Taurus or Aries.

Kumbh Mela Dates 2019 (Allahabad) – Main Snan (Bathing) Dates

Kumbh Mela to be held in Allahabad (Prayag) in the year 2019 from 15th of January till 4th of March. Below is a table mentioning the important dates of Ardh Kumbh Mela 2019: 

Date (2019)	Day	Event
15th January	Tuesday	Makar Sankranti (1St shahi Snan)
21st January	Monday	Paush Purnima
4th February	Monday	Mauni Amavasya (Main Royal Bath & 2nd Shahi Snan)
10th February	Sunday	Basant Panchami (3rd shahi Snan)
19th February	Tuesday	Maghi Poornima
4th March	Monday	Maha Shivratri

Meet the Mystics and Witness their Miracles

In the Kumbh you can see many Sadhus performing seemingly impossible tasks of endurance during their Tapas.  You will meet one or more on every street corner. Sadhus who have stood on one leg for decades; those who can stay under water for hours; who can read your mind; pull trucks with their genitals; who stay buried in the sand upside down – for the whole duration of the Kumbh! and so on and so forth.

And if you know where to look, and how to look, you can experience true miracles and spiritual powers – called as Siddhis. And maybe some of them may even initiate you in to these powers if you are lucky!. The Kumbh is a real treasure for people who seek more than the ordinary in their lives.

Finding Yourself at Kumbh

Discover the Kumbh. Discover India. Discover Yourself. The Kumbh is the best place to find yourself. In the mass of humanity, you lose all sense of your problems and will find who you truly are.

Here is a quotation by Jack Hebner from his book on the 1990 Kumbh Mela “The very foundation of my conception of life, the reality in which I lived, was shaken at its root. I was forced by circumstances to find a new identity within myself and adopt a completely new value system. My western values were not enough to deal with the profundity of the Kumbh Mela. What ensued was an unforgettable experience and a true understanding of the Kumbh Mela. I began to understand why millions of people attend the Kumbh Mela and I began to imbibe an inkling of their faith”

See the Highest Possibility for Your Liberation

For people who are spiritual and seek liberation, there is no better place than the Kumbh. And for those who always wondered what is this liberation that so many people are after, this is a great place to be introduced to it.   Every denomination and sect of Hinduism and eastern thought is represented at the Kumbh. It is a one stop for learning about Hinduism, Eastern thought  and the science of Liberation – Moksha.

Kumbh Mela has gained international fame as "the world's most massive act of faith." Pilgrims come to this holy event with such tremendous faith and in such overwhelming numbers that it boggles the mind. Faith is the most important thing for the pilgrims at Kumbh Mela, they have an "unflinching trust in something sublime". Meet people from almost  every country in the world. Make new friends.  Take a dip in the Ganges of the South – Godharvari and cleanse yourself inside and out. Once you have had that, there is no turning back!

Don’t miss the Kumb for anything. Be there!