What is Maha Kumbh Mela?
With the world’s largest gathering of people ever, over 400 million!!!, celebrating together on the banks of Ma Ganga, I simply couldn’t miss the opportunity to write a little bit about the sacred festival of Kumbha Mela, now taking place in India. The 6-week celebration began Monday Jan 13th and will continue until Maha Shivaratri (The annual festival of Lord Shiva) on Feb 26th.
This year’s festival is the biggest ever, called a Maha (grand) Kumbh Mela that only takes place every 144 years. Kumbh Mela celebreations evolve around the celestial alignment (and resultant energetic uplift) of Jupiter, the sun and the moon. When their astrological poitions align perfectly spiritual energies intensify and create an especially potent time for spiritual practices and gatherings.
Kumbh Mela is Indias largest festival that occurs only once in every 3 years, with the festival falling every 12th year at the most auspicious location Prayagraj, where this year’s festival is held. Prayagraj has long been a revered spiritual location, one of the oldest cities in the world, known as a holy city in Indias oldest scriptures the Vedas. Prayagraj sits at the confluence of 3 sacred Indian rivers, namely the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical river Sarasvati. It is the most important pilgrimage place for Hindus. The other 3 destinations for (on cycle every 12 years, in turn 3 years apart) are Haridwar (Northern India), Nasik (East India), and Ujjain (Central- North India).
To watch a 20min doco on this year’s Kumbh Mela preparations go HERE
Why these locations?
According to the “Churning of the Cosmic Ocean” (Samudra Manthan) legend (Mahabharata & Puranas), Vishnu was fleeing with a Kumbh (pot) of amrit (nectar) that had emerged from the ocean, when he spilled a little and four drops of amrit fell out. They fell to earth at the four locations of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain. These places are known as “tirtha” – a place where worshippers congregate to atone their sins and attain liberation (moksha).
So, the spilling of amrit at these locations is celebrated every three years by the festival Kumbh Mela, held at each tirtha in turn. Because 3 sacred rivers meet (Triveni Sangam) in Prayagraj, it is considered especially auspicious and called the Tirtharaj, or the ‘King of the Tirthas’.
How is Kumbh Mela celebrated? Kumbh Mela is absolutely packed with Hindu religious ascetics – sadhus, Nagas (guardians of the faith), Aghoris, holy men (mahants), spiritual pilgrims, worshippers, and onlookers. These aesthetics come from all over India, many live isolated, naked, and on minimal sustenance in remote forests, mountains and in caves. On the banks of the Sangam a huge, tented city is erected to help accommodate the millions of visitors, and this year it is technologically coded to help facilitate a safe and easier experience for attendees. Every hotel in Prayagraj is booked out months in advance and the area is blocked off to cars. Streets are filled with colourful processions marking the arrival of the 13 akharas (ancient monastic sects of warrior sadhus), the air is filled with incense and ganga, and festivities continue day and night.
To watch the trailer and have an option to rent a wonderful documentary (1.15 hrs) about Nagas – Naga the Eternal Yogi go HERE
Naga, Sadhus, bathe in holy waters for purification
What happens at Kumbh Mela?
The festival is marked by particularly auspicious days (about 8) and times chosen by astrologers, when worshippers flock to the rivers to bathe (khumbayog/snaan) in holy water rituals in seek of spiritual boons and blessings, to cleanse and to purify. In the past the time leading up to Kumbh Mela many (deadly for thousands of akharas might I add) fights take place Akharas, namely Vaishnav (Vishnu) Akharas and Shaiva (Shiva) Akharas, challenge one another for the right to be the first to bathe in the holy waters. There has historically been fierce competition and bloodshed between the akharas, whose members have fought violently on many occasions and died in their thousands over who gets to take part in the holy bathing ritual first.
Or watch a Kumbh Mela documentary (1hr 9mins) on you tube go HERE
Why celebrate Kumbh Mela?
When millions gather at the Kumbh, their devotion turns the river water into “amrit“– the nectar of immortality. In the Mystical plane, the highest possibility that is open for human beings’ manifests at the Kumbh Mela. With such a large crowd of worshippers and sadhus all gathered in one place the spiritual energy of Kumbh Mela is palpable and draws millions of devotes to the festival. For people who are spiritual and seek liberation, Kumbh Mela is the pinnacle destination.
Kumbh Mela is an amazing spectacle to witness – throngs of Sadhus and aesthetics, naked, covered with ash, long dreadlocks flying, racing into the waters, fuelled with spiritual passion and a yearning for liberation.
The Kumbh mela unites people from all over the world. Kumbh is an important gathering for religion, culture & humanity as well as being the biggest gathering of faith in the world.
To join me travels to sacred Hindu lands go HERE
Kumbh Mela festival Sadhu