कुम्भ मेला Kumbh Mela
January 13 to February 26, 2025
-Rohit Kumar Parmar [1]
I. Introduction :
Kumbha (कुम्भ) means kalasha or pot or pitcher or (water) vessel. The word Kumbha also refers to जल (water), or in mythology अमृत (amrit, nectar or elixir), symbolic of immortality.
The word mela (मेला) means a large gathering, meeting, fair.
Together, Kumbha Mela means `the fair of immortality’.
In Buddhist, Hindu and Jain mythology, Kumbha symbolises the womb. It is a symbol of fertility, generative power of human beings, and is associated with goddesses (devis), especially Ganga.
In December 2017, Kumbh Mela was inscribed on the UNESCO's `Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’. [2]
There are references to Kumbha/ Mela in the Vedas (Rig, Atharva and the Yajur Veda); in the Puranas (Brahma, Narada, and the Shiva Purana); [3] and in other ancient Buddhist, Hindu and Jain texts and scriptures, which cover
i. benefits of bathing in the संगम (Sangam, the confluence of the rivers गंगा Ganga and यमुना Yamuna at Prayag, Uttar Pradesh, India);
ii. cities associated with the `Kumbha mela’.
Kumbha is a zodiac sign in Indian astrology, corresponding to Aquarius. It is during the Kumbha (Aquarius) zodiac sign, that the Kumbha Mela is celebrated.
Select celestial transits/ alignments of traversing planets, satellites and stars including Sun, Jupiter and Moon is celebrated as कुम्भ स्नान-योग (Kumbh Snan-Yog), which is the first ritual स्नान (bath), performed on पौष पूर्णिमा (Paush Purnima).
The transits/ alignments include - Jupiter in (Vrishabha or Taurus) and the Sun and Moon in (Makar or Capricorn).
The 2025 कुम्भ मेला (Kumbh Mela) starts on January 13, 2025 with the पौष पूर्णिमा स्नान (Paush Purnima Snan, holy bath on the full moon day of the month of Paush, as per the Vikram Calendar) and ends on February 26, 2025, with the festival of महा शिवरात्रि (Maha Shivratri), which is celebrated on Chaturdashi Tithi, during Krishna Paksha (waning moon) in the month of Magha, as per the Vikram Calendar. The important bathing dates on which large number of devotees will have a स्नान (snan, bath), is given below :
Kumbh Mela 2025: Important Bathing Dates | ||
Sl. No | Bathing date | Bathing event |
1 | January 13, 2025 | Kumbh Mela 2025 Starts Kumbh Snan-Yog Paush Purnima, from 0503 hrs on January 13, 2025 to 0356 hrs on January 14, 2025 |
2 | January 14, 2025 | First Shahi Snan Makar Sankranti, transit of Sun to Makar rashi (Capricorn) |
3 | January 29, 2025 | Second Shahi Snan Mauni Amavasya, from 1935 hrs on January 28, 2025 to 1805 hrs on January 29, 2025 |
4 | February 2/3, 2025 | Third Shahi Snan Vasant Panchami, from 0914 hrs on February 02, 2025 to 0652 hrs on February 03, 2025 |
5 | February 4, 2025 | Achala/ Rath Saptami from 0437 hrs on February 4, 2025 to 0230 hrs on February 5, 2025 |
6 | February 12, 2025 | Magh Purnima from 1855 hrs on February 11, 2025 to 1922 hrs on February 12, 2025 |
7 | February 26, 2025 | Maha Shivratri Kumbh Mela 2025 Ends |
Note: 1. Compiled by the Author from several sources |
The last महा कुम्भ मेला (Maha Kumbh mela) was held in 2013 and the next महा कुम्भ मेला (Maha Kumbh mela) will be held after 144 years in 2157.
The पूर्ण (purna or full) Kumbh mela is held every 12 years, while the अर्ध (ardha half) Kumbh mela is held after about 6 years. In 2013 पूर्ण (purna or full) Kumbh (which was also a Maha Kumbh) was held in Prayag. This was followed by the अर्ध (ardha half) Kumbh mela in early 2019, in Prayag.
Every six years, Prayag hosts an Ardh Kumbh Mela in the months of January and February, when the planets, satellites and stars come in select celestial transits/ alignments, during the month of माघ (Magh) as per the Vikram calendar.
II. Mythological origin of Kumbha Mela
According to Hindu mythology, the first कुम्भ (Kumbha) was created by प्रजापति (Prajapati) [4] on the occasion of the marriage of Shiva, so he was the first कुम्हारा (Kumhara, potter).
Another mythological story says that the first pot was created by विश्वकर्मा (Vishvakarma), during समुद्र मंथन (Samudra Manthan, churning of the seas).
A related mythological story is of the drops of nectar falling from the अमृत कुम्भ (Amrit Kumbh), collected/ saved by the gods and demons during समुद्र मंथन (Samudra Manthan, churning of the seas).
According to the above story, there was a war between gods and demons to gain control over the pot of अमृत (amrit, nectar or elixir), which lasted for twelve days. During the war, drops of अमृत (amrit, nectar or elixir), fell from the pitcher at four places on earth - Prayag, Uttar Pradesh; Haridwar, Uttarakhand; Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; and Nashik, Maharashtra.
Kumbh is celebrated in a period/ cycle of little less than 12 years, on completion of a revolution of बृहस्पति (Brihaspati, Jupiter) [5] at the four pilgrimage sites, which are on the banks of rivers, which are considered holy. These as stated above, are - Prayag (Ganga-Yamuna confluence), Haridwar (Ganga), Nashik (Godavari), and Ujjain (Shipra).
The different types of Kumbh Mela organised in India are detailed below :
महा (Maha, great/ big) Kumbh Mela - The Maha Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 144 years or after 12 Purna Kumbh Melas, which are held only in Prayag.
पूर्ण (Purna, full) Kumbh Mela - The Purna Kumbh Mela is held in all the four holy places of India i.e. Prayag, Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain. The Kumbh melas in the cities have their respective/ independent cycles of little less than 12 years.
अर्ध Ardh Kumbh Mela - The अर्ध (Ardh, half) Kumbh Mela is held every 6 years at only two holy cities, Haridwar and Prayag.
माघ (Magh, month of Magh mid-January to February) Kumbh Mela is organised every year in Prayag.
[1] Author, Freelance, Indian Economic Service, Senior Economic Adviser (Retired), Government of India, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and former Adviser (P 4) UNDP, Yemen has in posts
on his website (https://rohitkparmar.wixsite.com/site),
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been writing/ sharing varied topics and
can be reached at rohitkparmar@yahoo.com.
[3] The listing of the Puranas is alphabetical. Other listings are also largely alphabetical.
[4] प्रजापति Prajapati, means 'Lord of people', and is a form of Brahma, the creator god.
[5] 11.86 years.
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