Why Is Kumbh Important? Significance Of A 'Deity's Folly' Amid Return Of Festivities After 144 Years

Kumbh Mela History Explained: This Kumbh in Prayagraj is different due to a rare celestial positioning of Nakshatra that is occurring after 144 years.

reset

Follow us on Flipboard

Follow us on Google News

According to legend, the churning of the cosmic ocean produced a pot (kumbh) containing the elixir of immortality (amrita), setting the stage for the Kumbh Mela’s significance. (Image: PTI)

Detailed history of Kumbh Mela: Prayagraj, one of the greatest pilgrimage sites in India, is steadily gearing up for the rare Maha Kumbh Mela which is set to begin on January 13 and continue till February 26.

The festival, which holds great religious significance for Hindus, is being organised with grandeur. But this time it’s different due to a rare celestial positioning of Nakshatra that is occurring after 144 years.

It is one of the Kumbh Melas, the world’s largest religious gathering, which is held in one of the four sacred locations – Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain – once every 12 years.

Millions of devotees throng the sacred locations during Kumbh Melas to participate in them and bathe in the sacred waters to wash away their sins.

Mythological Significance Of Maha Kumbh

According to Hindu mythology, the roots of Kumbh lie in the episode when the ocean of milk was churned by gods and demons to obtain the nectar of immortality, also called amrita. The event has been called “Samudra Manthan" in Sanskrit.

However, after the nectar came out from the churning of the ocean milk, a fight broke out between gods and demons for the amrita.

To save the nectar from demons, the son of Lord Indra handed over the pot of nectar to the Moon God, who accidentally dropped its few drops of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain.

This mistake of the deity made Kumbh Melas a centre of faith. The four places turned into pilgrimage sites and Kumbh Melas started being organised in these places every 12 years.

Elaborating on this story, a report in Times of India quoted Mahant Harichaitanya Brahmachari, head of TikarMafi ashram, as saying: “Jayant (Indra’s son) took away the pitcher full of Amrit, and to protect this Amrit, four gods were assigned different duties to support Jayant. The ‘Sun’ was asked to hold the pitcher, the ‘Moon’ was tasked to ensure that the Amrit did not spill out, Jupiter (Bhrahaspati) was assigned to protect Jayant from Asuras, and finally, Shani was told to act as a mediator in any conflict."

Why Is This Kumbh Mela Special?

According to the report, when the Sun, Moon, Shani, and Jupiter were rushed to protect the pitcher, a rare celestial positioning of Nakshatra had occurred.

“At that time, all the four Rishis, including Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatan, and Sanatkumar, decided to camp at Prayag. The beginning of the concept, which we know as Kumbh today, commenced," the Mahant was quoted.

“It is after 144 years that the positioning of all the four planets is in line, and three hours prior to Amavasya (January 29), importantly, ‘Pukh (also pushya) Nakshatra’ will also align with the four planets. Thus, the most auspicious of all the Maha Kumbh in the past 144 years is in 2025," TOI further quoted Harichaitanya as saying.

Hindu devotees believe that bathing in the holy rivers in these four places during Kumbh Melas liberates humans from the cycle of life and death.

First Historical Mention Of Kumbh Mela

Historically, the first reference to Kumbh Mela was found in the writings of Chinese traveller Xuanzang who had travelled to India in the 7th century.

In his writings, Xuanzang spoke about the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, which is the confluence of Rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati.

Xuanzang recorded that more than 5,00,000 people travelled to Prayagraj to participate in the grand festival and bathe in the sacred waters, which resonated with the Kumbh Mela.

The tradition has lived on till this date as millions gather at the Sangam to participate in the ancient ritual.

How Is Maha Kumbh Different From Other Kumbh Melas

Hindus celebrate Maha Kumbh after the completion of 12 full Kumbh Melas because of which it is organised once every 144 years.

The Kumbh Mela takes place every four years in Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain, and Nashik.

The event is organised on Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. It takes place on the banks of the Godavari in Nashik, the banks of the Shipra in Ujjain and the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar.

Apart from Kumbh Mela and Maha Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh Mela and Purna Kumbh are also organised in the holy cities.

The Ardh Kumbh Mela is held every six years and is organised only in Haridwar and Prayagraj.

The Purna Kumbh or the full Kumbh Mela is organised on the banks of the Sangam in Prayagraj once every 12 years. The main significance of both the Kumbhs for devotees is bathing in the holy river to wash away sins.

The leaders of different akharas (sectarian groups) and astrologers meet and study the positions of the Sun and Jupiter to decide the location and date of the Kumbh Mela.

The Kumbh Mela is organised four times in a span of 12 years following the movement of Jupiter which orbits around the Sun in 12 years.

How Leaders Decide Locations For Kumbh Mela

The selection of the holy place where Kumbh Mela will be held is done on the basis of the astrological positioning of the planets.

The Kumbh Mela is organised in Prayagraj when Jupiter gets positioned in the Sun and Taurus and Moon remain in Capricorn.

In the case of Haridwar, Jupiter remains in Aquarius, the Moon in Sagittarius and the Sun is in Aries.

Ujjain is finalised as Kumbh Mela’s location when Jupiter enters Leo and the Sun and Moon are in Aries.

Kumbh Mela is held in Nashik when Jupiter remains in Leo but the Sun and the Moon enter Cancer.

Scientific Significance Of Maha Kumbh

The leaders of akharas organise Mahakumbh Mela when Jupiter comes in a specific alignment and coincides with the positions of the Sun and Moon.

It is believed that this alignment will amplify the electromagnetic fields of the Earth.

According to the researchers, the Earth’s electromagnetic fields are affected by planetary alignments and in turn influence biological systems.

It has been found in studies in bio-magnetism that electromagnetic forces are emitted by the human bodies which also respond to the charged fields if present in their environment.

Numerous ceremonies are organised in the Kumbh Mela which includes the traditional procession of Akharas known as ‘Peshwai’.

The procession features horses, chariots, elephants, shining swords and rituals of Naga Sadhus amid the ‘Shahi Snaan’ (Royal Bath).

top videos

View all

Swipe Left For Next Video

View all

The saints of different akharas participate in the Shahi Snaan by taking a dip in the holy rivers before any other Hindu pilgrims.

This year, the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj is expected to attract 40 to 45 crore devotees who will participate in the festivities within a span of 44 days.

Location :
Prayagraj, India

First Published:
January 08, 2025, 11:40 IST