“What is the most wonderful sight in India – the strangest thing to be seen in all this land, where so much is strange? For my part, I am inclined to doubt whether anything can be witnessed more impressive and picturesque, more pregnant, too, with meaning and significance, than the Kumbh Mela, or great Pilgrim Fair, which is held, once every twelve years, where the waters of the Ganges and Jumna meet, below the wall of Allahabad. Until you have look upon one of these tremendous gatherings of humanity many aspects of Indian life and character must be hidden from you.” – Sydney Low during the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to India The Kumbh Mela is held in rotation among four holy places: Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik.
In 2010, the Kumbh Mela returned to Haridwar, where millions and millions of pilgrims come to participate.
The Kumbh Mela draws an incredible spectrum of humanity: yogis from the Himalayas and Sikhs from the Punjab, peasants and businessmen, sannyasis and politicians.
Kumbh is an ancient term that is already mentioned in the Vedas, where it refers to a pitcher or vase full of water.
The Kumbh is a recurring image on temples, coins, and seals, and is evident on items recovered from the civilisation of the Indus valley.
Generally, a Kumbh is used as a symbol of fertility.
In ancient river festivals, a Kumbh full of grains was soaked in the waters of a holy river and its contents then put to seed during sowing time.
Kumbh in the Epics and the Puranas refers to the legend of the pot of Amrit that arose from the churning of the Ocean of Milk.
A fight broke out between the Devas and the Asuras over who would get the Kumbh.
The Kumbh Melas served as the staging ground for the mobilization, recruitment, and mercenary employment for the Akharas.
Bairagi Akharas were created as a reaction to the militant Shaiva Akharas, who were intimidating religious pilgrims, attacking Hindu pilgrimage places, and trying to seize economic control over holy centres.
Even today, Vaishnava and Shaiva ascetics camp separately during Kumbh Melas and rarely associate with each other.
Remarkably enough, the Kumbh Mela is one of the very few pilgrimages, where the sectarian itineraries of Sadhus intersect.
Strikingly, besides the Vaishnava and Shaiva orders, orders of ascetics that are often considered not to belong to the Hindu religion play a very prominent role in the Kumbh Mela.
When the various religious orders, especially the Akharas, arrive in the townships that are erected for each Kumbh Mela, they enter in pompous parades called Peshvais.
The Kumbh Mela is the only place where the Akharas still show the splendor with which they used to travel around the major pilgrimage centres in former times.
During the Kumbh Mela, Sadhus who have not seen each other for years meet again.
The Kumbh Mela is not only a time for coordination within but also between the various religious orders.
The climax of the Kumbh Mela is the procession of Sadhus leading to the particular bathing sites along the rivers.
The whole atmosphere of the Kumbh Mela is surcharged with religious zeal.
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