Great Event on Earth: Kumbh Mela: Part: 2:

Kumbh Mela Timeline

10,000 bce: Historian S.B. Roy postulates presence of ritual river bathing.
600 bce: River Melas are mentioned in Buddhist writings.
400 bce: Greek envoy to Indian King Chandra Gupta reports on a Mela.
ca 300 ce: Roy believes the present form of Melas crystallizes at this time. Various Puranas, written texts based on ancient oral traditions, recount the dropping of the nectar of immortality at four sites after the "churning of the ocean."
547: Earliest recorded founding date of an akhara (order), the Abhana.
600: Chinese pilgrim and writer Hiuen-Tsang attends a Mela at Prayag (modern Allahabad), organized by King Harsha.
904: Founding of Niranjani Akhara.
1146: Founding of Juna Akhara.
1300: Kanphata Yogi militant ascetics are employed in the Rajasthan army.
1398: Timur lays waste to Delhi to punish the sultan's tolerance toward Hindus, then proceeds to Haridwar Mela and massacres thousands.
1565: Madhusudana Sarashwati organizes fighting units of Dasanami orders.
1684: Frenchman Tavernier estimates 1.2 million Hindu ascetics in India.
1690: Shaivites and Vaishnava sects battle at Nasik; 60,000 are killed.
1760: Shaivites and Vaishnava battle at Haridwar Mela; 1,800 die.
1780: British establish the order for royal bathing by the monastic groups.
1820: Stampede leaves 430 dead at the Haridwar Mela.
1906: British Calvary intercede in a Mela battle between sadhus.
1954: Four million people, 1 percent of India's population, attend the Mela at Allahabad; hundreds die in a stampede.
1989: Guinness Book of World Records proclaims the crowd of 15-million crowd at the February 6, Allahabad Mela "the largest-ever gathering of human beings for a single purpose."
1995: "Half-Mela" (at six-year interval) at Allahabad has 20 million pilgrims on January 30 bathing day.
1998: Haridwar attracts 25 million in four months; ten million on April 14.
2001: Mela at Allahabad attracts 70 million pilgrims in six weeks, 30 million on January 24 alone.
2003: Mela at Nasik attracts 6 million pilgrims on the main bathing day.
2004: Mela at Ujjain; main days are April 5, 19, 22, 24 and May 4.
2007: Ardh Kumbh Mela at Allahabad. The holy city of Allahabad (Prayag) has hosted Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela (festival) from 3rd January 2007 to 26th February 2007.

Rituals of Kumbh

Maha Kumbh is the largest human gathering in history for the single cause, This auspicious time & space is attended by millions of people on a single day. Since the beginning of time Kumbh has been a center of Hindu culture & faith. The participants from all the walks of life attend this cosmic zone. Irrespective of all worldly barriers of caste, creed, region, the Kumbh Mela has wielded a mesmeric influence over the minds and the imagination of the ordinary Indian.

The devout believe that simply by bathing in the Ganges zone is freed from their past sins (karma), and thus one becomes eligible for liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Other activities include religious discussions, devotional singing, mass feeding of holy men and women and the poor, and religious assemblies where doctrines are debated and standardized. Kumbh Mela (especially the Maha Kumbh Mela) is the most sacred of all the Hindu pilgrimages. Millions of holy men and women (saints, monks, and sadhus) attend this spectacle of faith.

The Kumbh mela is huge gathering of Sadhus & Gurus from all over India & abroad. They come in Millions from all the corners for this common goal. There are thousands of sect in India the most common are two, Vaishnava (Followers of Vishnu) & Shaiva (Followers of Shiva). The greatest feature of this Mela are furious & exotic Naga Sadhus (The Naked ones) covered in ash, matted hairs. They are known as preserver of faith.

This holy event with such tremendous faith has gained international fame. Famous ancient traveller. Hiuen Tsiang of China, was the first to mention Kumbh Mela in his diary. His diary mentions the celebration of 75 days of Hindu month of Magha (January-February), which witnessed half a million devotee including sadhus, common man, rich & famous & kings.

Ever since than this Holy event has seen considerable increase in the attendance of devotees During days of Shankara back in 8th century the Kumbh Mela saw a growth to enormous proportions, In 1977 there were 15 million pilgrims, whereas in 1989 this number increased to 29 million & during 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela drew an estimated 70 million people over 44 days, making this the largest single gathering of humanity in recorded history.

Courtesy: www.Kumbh.org

According to astrologers, the 'Kumbh Fair' takes place when the planet Jupiter enters Aquarius. Kumbh (Kumbh means pot) Mela (means fair) is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage. It takes place at the following four locations of India:

Prayag, Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh)

Haridwar (Uttarakhand)

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh)

Nasik (Maharashtra)

History and Legend

The origin of the Kumbh is very old and dates back to the time when Kalash (pot of nectar of immortality) was recovered from Samudramanthan (during the churning of the primordial sea), for which a tense war between Devtas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) ensued. To prevent the Amrita Kalash being forcibly taken into possession by Asuras, who were more powerful than Devtas, its safety was entrusted to the Devtas Brahaspati, Surya, Chandra and Shani. The four Devtas ran away with the Amrita Kalash to hide it from the Asuras. Learning the conspiracy of Devtas, Asuras turned ferocious and chased the 4 Devtas running with Amrita Kalash. The chase, lasted 12 days and nights during which the Devtas and Asuras went round the earth and during this chase, Devtas put Amrita Kalash at Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik.

To commemorate this holy event of the Amrita Kalash 12 years. According to other Pauranic legends, actual fight in the Amrita Kalash being knocked, out of which Amrita being put at 4 places, Kumbh is celebrated every took place between Devtas and Asuras resulting (Nectar) fell down at the above 4 places.

The Religious Importance

Ardh Kumbh and Maha Kumbh are the occasions when millions of people gather to take holy dip in the sacred waters. This is main reason for one to attend the Maha Kumbh and the Ardh Kumbh festival. It is believed that a holy dip in sacred rivers during Maha Kumbh or Ardh Kumbh takes human out of the circle of life and death and one attains Moksha. Devotees, saints/Sadhus turn up in great number from all over the world to take a dip in the holy waters of rivers like the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythological Sarashwati at Prayag (Sangam). According to traditions these holy rivers offers purity, wealth, fertility and wash away the sins of all those who take bath.

The festival is religiously most important for the Hindus. At every Kumbh occasion, millions of Hindus take part in the celebrations. During 2004 Kumbh at Haridwar, more than 10 millions devotees gathered at the site. Saints, priests, and yogis from all corners of India, gathered to participate in Kumbh. Haridwar is considered very holy, due to the fact that Ganga enter plains from mountains here itself. The festival is visited by the most amazing saints from all across India. The Naga Sadhus are one such, who never wear any cloth and are smeared in ash. They have long matted hairs and are not at all affected by the extremes of heat and cold. Then there are the Urdhwavahurs, who believe in putting the body through severe austerities. There are the Parivajakas, who have taken a vow of silence and go about tinkling little bells to get people out of their way. The Shirshasins stand all 24 hours and meditate for hours standing on their heads. Spending the entire month of Kumbh on the banks of Ganga, meditating, performing rituals and bathing thrice a day, are the Kalpvasis. It is believed that bathing during Kumbh cures the bather of all sins and evils and grants the bather, salvation. It is also believed that at the time of Kumbh Yoga, the water of Ganga is charged with positive healing effects and that water at the time of Kumbh is charged positively by enhanced electromagnetic radiations of the Sun, Moon and the Jupiter, the flux of which also varies in accordance to positions and the phases of the moon, and also by the + and - signs of the sun spots. The following table shows the positions of the planets when the Kumbh Fair is held at four different places in India.

Haridwar Ardh Kumbh Mela 14th January to 28th April 2010

30th January – Magh Purnima

12th February – Sri Mahashivrati Snan – Shahi Snan

15th March – Somvati Amavas – Shahi Snan

16th March – Navsamvatarambh Snan

24th March – Sri Ramnavmi Snan

16th March – Navsamvatarambh Snan

24th March – Sri Ramnavmi Snan

30th March – Chaitra Purnima (Parv Snan) / Vaishnav Akhare Snan

14th April – Mesh Sakranti – Shahi Snan – Mukhya Snan Parv

28th April – Vaishakh Adhimas Purnima Snan

Here is a comprehensive list of Kumbh Mela dates with the names of the host cities. The Maha Kumbh Mela is held every three years in each of four different locations (Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain), returning to each of four places every twelve years. Besides the regular Kumbh Mela, an Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela (festival) takes place six years after the Maha Kumbh in each location.

Haridwar Ardh Kumbh Mela 2010 (January 14th to April 28th)

Haridwar (the gateway to God) will host the Ardh Kumbh Mela in the year 2010

Allahabad (Prayag) Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 (January 27th to February 25th)

The Maha Kumbh Mela will again be held at Allahabad (Prayag) in the year 2013.

Nasik Maha Kumbh Mela 2015 (August 15th to September 13th)

Nasik will host the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2015

Ujjain Maha Kumbh Mela 2016 (April 22nd to May 21st)

The Kumbh Mela in the year 2016 will be held at Ujjain.

HARI AUM

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