The Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, during which participants bathe or take a dip in a sacred river. The Mela is held every three years in one of the four cities, Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik or Ujjain. Most aspects of the festival, including it’s date, duration and location, are
determined by Astrologers.

The seekers believe that bathing in these rivers is a means to prāyaścitta (atonement, penance, restorative action) for past mistakes and that it cleanses them of their sins. They also believe that by bathing in the Ganges, one is freed from sin, liberating her/him from the cycle of birth and death.

Legend says, that for 12 days and 12 nights, the Gods were chased by Demons for the possession of Amrita. These 12 days of Gods are equivalent to 12 years of Humans. During this chase for the elixir of immortality, the drops from Kumbh (pitcher) fell at four places – Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and
Nasik.

The Maha Kumbh is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12 years to celebrate every revolution Brihaspati (Jupiter) completes. It is celebrated at four river-bank pilgrimage sites: Prayagraj (the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical(Godavari), and Ujjain (Shipra). While the Ardh Kumbh Mela (“half Kumbh”) occurs approximately every 6 years.

The Kumbh Mela is organized immaculately by, the government, the local authorities and the police. The mela is especially renowned for the presence of an extraordinary array of religious ascetics—sadhus and mahants—enticed from remote hideaways in forests, mountains and caves.

The most popular of Hindu sects are the Nagas (who refrain from wearing any clothes), the Kalpwasis (who bathe three times a day), and the Urdhawavahurs (who believe in putting
their bodies through extreme austerities).

It is only during the Kumbh Mela that the Naga Sadhus, called the Shaivites (the followers of the Lord Shiva), who live in the Himalayas, come down to the plains .

Shahi Snan in Kumbh Mela:

All 13 Akhara participate in bathing at a pre-fixed schedule.
The timing of this fixed on basis of planetary positions.
Makar Sankranti
Paush Poornima
Mauni Amavasya
Basant Panchami
Maghi Poornima
Mahashivratri

First, the gurus and saints of different Akhadas and their disciples take a bath at the banks of the river on the predetermined date, and then the others.

Just some facts:

Kumbh Mela 2019:

Held in Prayagraj, it was a mega event that witnessed 24 crore pilgrims and tourists in a city with a population of around 11 lakhs.
Visitors: 240 million

FIFA World Cup:

It is held once every 4 years and brings in millions of football fans from across the world to the host nation
Visitors in 2018: 7.7 million

The Hajj:

Over a period of six days, millions of Muslims re-enacted Prophet Muhammad’s farewell pilgrimage.
Visitors in 2018: 2.4 million

Mardi Gras, USA

The grand carnival in city of New Orleans is held on the day before Ash Wednesday and on the first day of Lent.
Usual attendance: 1.4 million

About the Kumbh Mela 2019:

● The Kumbh Mela area was spread over 12.35 square miles, equivalent to a large town. A whole city came up temporarily at Prayagraj, spreading across 2,500 hectares on the banks of the the Ganga and Yamuna
● According to many Government reports, the Kumbh Mela creates around 6,50,000 jobs. While the total earnings from the Kumbh Mela of that year amounted to around Rs. 12,000 crore.
● During the Kumbh period, 800 special trains were organised exclusively for pilgrims .
● The airport had 108 flight movements every week for pilgrims exclusively.
● 100-bed central hospital and 10 smaller hospitals were set up.
● A vast tent city was built on the mudflats of the river banks for pilgrims to stay.
● To cater for the millions of pilgrims, more than 122,000 toilets were installed, along with 20,000 dustbins, – 22,000 sanitation workers were hired to sweep.
● Most pilgrims who come on a short visit bring their own food.
● Camps were set up by religious organizations for pilgrims who stayed for up to a month, and often depended on the authorities for supplies.
● Overall, 5,384 metric tons of rice, 7,834 metric tons of wheat flour, 3,174 metric tons of sugar, and 767 kiloliters of kerosene had been allocated for the festival as free food for the pilgrims.
● Free and clean drinking water was made available from 160 dispensers around the mela grounds.
● More than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed to deal with traffic and security.
● Lost – and – found camp was set up to help reunite countless family members and friends who got separated in the vast crowds.

On a lighter note, I remember having seen some Bollywood movies on this subject. Like the movie Mela, starring Sanjay Khan & Firoz Khan, who got lost in a mela and then were united many years later. Mumtaz was the heroine of the same movie. So as children, we had to be very careful when visiting the Kumb Mela .We were advised to hold hands tightly so as not to get separated and lost.

In the end, I would like to conclude that feeling and absorbing the collective positive energies, the divinity of nature, and unshakable faith of the Kumbh Mela is a lifetime experience. I feel blessed to have been there.