Kumbh Mela
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Kumbh Mela (Sanskrit: Kumbha Mēlā, pronounced [kʊˈmbʱᵊ melaː]; lit. 'festival of the Sacred Pitcher') is a Hindu pilgrimage, celebrated every four or twelve years, correlated with the partial or full revolution of Jupiter. These are held at four locations–Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain, with varying time intervals. As per the Puranas, these sites are considered to have received the drops of the divine nectar (amrita) during the Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean of milk). The Kumbh Mela lasts between one and three months, with the Amavasya day attracting the largest crowds. The festival attracts millions of people, with the largest gathering recorded at Prayag. About 660 million attended the Kumbh Mela in 2025, and 200 million in 2019, making it one of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Kumbh Mela is observed cycle at each site approximately once every 12 years based on the Hindu luni-solar calendar and the relative positions of the Jupiter, the Sun, and the Moon. As per Hindu astrology, specific alignments of the Jupiter, the Sun, and the Moon only occur at the four Kumbh locations in a 12-year cycle. The Prayag and Haridwar festivals are held with a six year gap in between, and feature a Maha (major) and Ardha (half) Kumbh Melas. The Kumbh Melas at Ujjain and Nashik are observed in the same year or one year apart, typically about three years after the Prayag Kumbh Mela. The festival is held at the confluence of major rivers, and people take a ritual dip in the waters, believed to be a means of prāyaścitta (atonement) for the past mistakes, and cleansing of their sins. Various fairs, educational events, religious discourses, mass gatherings of monks, and entertainment are also conducted during the festivities. Before 1858, the name "Kumbh" was applied only to the 12th occurrence of an annual mela in Haridwar during the Vaishakha month. As mentioned in Hindu texts such as Ramcharitmanas, an annual Magh Mela was held in Prayag during the month of Pausha. The Haridwar mela had seen clashes between rival groups in the past, which had resulted in multiple deaths in 1796. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 had been suppressed by the British Raj, the Pragwals (traditional priest castes) in Allahabad proposed the idea of an organised pilgrimage at Prayag under the surveillance of the British. The first Kumbh Mela at Prayag was organised in 1870 In other parts of India, similar but smaller community pilgrimage and bathing festivals are held. These Magha or Makar melas that have been called Kumbh Mela include those held in Kumbakonam, Kurukshetra, Panauti, Rajim, and Sonipat. These are also generally held at water bodies with various time intervals, and attracts a large gathering. For example, the Mahamaham is held in Kumbakonam once every twelve years, at the Mahamaham tank, near the Kaveri river.