Kumbh Mela

Held four times every 12 years at four different locations across central and northern India, the Kumbh Mela is the largest religious congregation and largest peaceful gathering on the planet. This vast celebration attracts tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims, including mendicant nagas.

Kumbh is held every third year at one of the four places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain. Thus the Kumbha Mela is held at each of these four places every twelfth year. The Ardha Kumbha Mela, which is next in sanctity, is held only at Haridwar and Allahabad. In summary:

• Kumbha Mela: Held at all four places.
• Ardha Kumbha Mela: Held at Haridwar and Prayag, every 6 years.
• Purna Kumbha Mela: Held only at Prayag every 12 years.
• Maha Kumbha Mela: Held only at Prayag, every 144 years.

The rivers at these four places are Ganga at Haridwar, the Prayag Sangam at Allahabad, the Godawari at Nashik, and the Shipra at Ujjain. The largest crowd is held on Mauni Amavasya. The Bhagvat Purana is the first written evidence of the Kumbha Mela. Another written evidence of the Kumbha Mela is in the works of Huen Tsang, who visited India in 629–645 AD, during the reign of Harsha. The Samudra manthan episode is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana.