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Maha Kumbh Mela

Holy Bath During Kumbh Mela, Allahabad

Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world performed by the Hindus and is the greatest of the Indian pilgrimages. It is the largest bathing event in the world which is celebrated four times every twelve years, once at each of the four holy destinations - Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. Each twelve-year cycle includes the Maha (great) Kumbh Mela at Prayag and and others are termed as Ardh (Half) Kumbh Mela, attended by millions of people. The fair is also renowned for the active participation of the sadhus and mahants coming out from remote hideaways of forests, mountains and caves.

The Legend Behind The Holy Gathering

The word 'Kumbh' means 'Pot' and Mela means 'Fair' and is associated with some interesting tales of Hindu mythology. As the legend goes, once Gods and Demons agreed to work together in order to obtain Amrita (the nectar of immortality) from the churning of the milk-ocean and share it equally. After much hard work when the Kumbha full of Amrita appeared, the Demons ran away with it, Gods following them later. For twelve days and nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the God and Demons fought in the sky. It is said that during the battle, drops of Amrita fell on the ground at four places : Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik, where Kumbh Mela is celebrated after the gap of three years. According to Hindu astrologers, the 'Kumbh Fair' takes place when the planet Jupiter enters Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries.

Maha Kumbh Mela is celebrated once in 12 years in Prayag near Allahabad according to the Hindu mythology and is hugely participated by the devotees and tourists to mark the auspicious occasion. Government has taken up a number of measures to make the gathering hospitable and enjoyable.

Getting There

By Air

Allahabad has a domestic airport which offers connection to some of the selected cities of the countries. But the nearby airports at Varanasi (140 km) and Lucknow (210 km) offer regular flight service to almost all the major cities of India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

By Rail

Allahabad is one of the major railway hubs in India with four railway stations – Prayag station, City station, Daraganj station and Allahabad junction. Some major trains connecting Allahabad with the rest of the country are Prayag Raj Express (Allahabad - New Delhi), Brahmaputra Mail (Guwahati – Allahabad – New Delhi), Bombay Mail (Howrah – Allahabad – Mumbai) and Toofan Express (Ganganagar – Allahabad – Howrah).

By Road

Allahabad is on the national highways 2 and 27. Regular bus services connect Allahabad with rest of the country. The good roads make the journey to Allahabad relaxing and enjoying. Some impostant road distances are : Varanasi – 125 km, Ayodhya – 167 km, Lucknow – 204 km, Khajuraho – 294 km and Delhi – 643 km.