Kumbh Mela (part 1)

Brief overview

Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela is generally a pilgrimage or a holy festival of Hinduism in India, Maha Kumbh Mela is the festival that occurs on the rotation/cycle of approx 12 years.

Kumbh is only celebrated on the river -bank pilgrimage sites of only four rivers four places i.e. The prayagraj aka Allahabad (Gange-Yamuna Saraswati rivers confluence), Haridwar(Ganges river), Nashik(Godavari river), and Ujjain (Shipra).

There is no doubt that it is the largest gathering of faith in the world in which people from the whole participate and take bath in the sacred river. But the interesting that is that did you ever think that what is the meaning of Kumbh?, why it is celebrated, who started Kumbh Mela, what is the story behind it? Let us study through this article.

It is said that Kumbh Mela is the world’s largest religious as well as cultural human gathering around the globe and it is correctly said. Lakhs of pilgrims over a course of 48 days take bath in the holy rivers. Devotees mainly sadhus, sadhvis, ascetics, pilgrims, etc. from across the world take part in this Mela.

Kumbh Mela 2021 and its history

Kumbh Mela is a combination of two words i.e. Kumbh and Mela. The name Kumbh is derived from the immortal pot of nectar, because of which the Devtas and the demons fought over multiple times which which has been described in ancient Vedic scriptures known as the Puraan. Mela, as we all are familiar that it is a Sanskrit word that means ‘gathering’ or ‘to meet’

The history of Kumbh Mela is related to that ancient period when the Devtas and the Demons conjointly produced nectar of immortality. They both( Devtas and the demons) have to complete the task together and decide to share the nectar of immorality in half-half a. The Devtas and the demons then assembled together and went on the shore of the milk ocean that lies in the celestial region of the cosmos.  As they initiated the churning of the milk, the ocean produced a deadly poison firstly which Lord Shiva drank without being affected. After crossing through many phases and hurdles years later, Dhanwantari(the god of medicine) appeared with the nectar of immortality in her hands.

The Devtas forcibly snatched the pot with its safety entrusted onto the four Gods – Brihaspati, Surya, Shani, and Chandra. Thereafter, the demons chased the Devtas for many days in the hope to get the pitcher(nector). While chasing Devtas the drops of nectar dropped at 4 places i.e. Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. Since then such places are believed to have acquired mystical powers. The fight for the nectar (the sacred pot) between the Gods and demons continued for 12 days of the divine, which is considered to be as long as 12 years for humans that is why the Kumbh Mela is celebrated once in 12 years and gathering took places mentioned above-sacred places or holy sites. It is said that during this period the rivers turned into nectar(Amrit) and so, several pilgrims from across the world visit the Kumbh Mela to bath in the essence of purity and immortality.

The basic rules and regulations at Maha Kumbh Mela 2021

• The Centre had issued the guidelines and SOPs(standard operating protocols) for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2021 that

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, all devotees, travelers, or anyone who is interested in visiting Kumbh this year has to register at the Uttarakhand government or their official website as well as it is mandatory to obtain the COVID-19 negative medical certificate from any government recognized hospital, community health care center or medical collage in their state and this report will be applicable for not more than 72 hours.