Prayag Kumbh Mela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prayag Kumbh Mela |
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2013 Maha Kumbh Mela
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| Status | Active |
| Genre | Fair |
| Frequency | Every 12 years |
| Venue | Triveni Sangam |
| Location(s) | Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh |
| Coordinates | 25°25′52″N 81°53′06″E / 25.431°N 81.885°E |
| Country | India |
| Previous event | 2019 (Ardh Kumbha Mela) |
| Next event | 2025 (Purn Kumbha / Maha Kumbh Mela) |
| Participants | Akharas, pilgrims and merchants |
| Budget | est. ₹4,200 crores |
| Activity | Rituals |
| Organised by | Prayag Mela Authority |
| Sponsor | East India Company until 1857; British Raj until 1947; thereafter Government of India. |
 2019 Prayag Kumbh Mela |
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The Prayag Kumbh Mela is a huge religious gathering in India. It happens in the city of Prayagraj. This festival takes place where three important rivers meet. These are the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati river. This meeting point is called the Triveni Sangam.
The main part of the festival is a special dip in the holy waters. But it's also a big community event. There are many fairs, educational talks, and religious discussions. Holy people called saints share their wisdom. Monks and poor people receive free food. It's also a time for entertainment and celebration.
The Prayag Kumbh Mela is known as the largest peaceful gathering in the world. In 2019, about 50 million people attended the Ardh Kumbh Mela. In 2013, around 30 million people came for the Maha Kumbh Mela. They all came to bathe in the holy river Ganges.
The full Kumbh Mela happens every 12 years. A smaller version, called an ardha (half) mela, happens about every 6 years. The next full Kumbh Mela is planned for 2025. The exact date is decided by the Hindu luni-solar calendar. It depends on the positions of the planet Jupiter, the sun, and the moon.
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What is the Kumbh Mela?
The Kumbh Mela is one of four major fairs. These fairs are traditionally known as Kumbh Melas. An annual fair, called Magh Mela, has been held at Prayag for a very long time. This annual fair has taken place since ancient times. The area is considered very sacred. People have come here for bathing pilgrimages and festivals for centuries. Ancient texts like the Puranas and Mahabharata mention this festival. Later texts by Muslim historians also talk about it. However, these old writings did not use the name "Kumbh Mela" for the bathing festival in Prayagraj.
The name "Kumbh Mela" for the Prayagraj event appeared after the mid-1800s. Local priests, called Prayagwals, are thought to have started using the 6-year and 12-year cycles around this time. These cycles were already part of the historic Maha Kumbh Mela at other places. Since then, the annual Magh Mela becomes a Maha Kumbh Mela every 12 years. Six years after a Kumbh Mela, it becomes an Ardh Kumbh ("Half Kumbh") Mela.
When Does the Kumbh Mela Happen?
The Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj usually takes place in the month of Magh. This is when certain planets and stars are in specific positions. For example, Jupiter might be in Aries. The Sun and Moon might be in Capricorn. Sometimes, these special astrological positions don't perfectly match the month of Magh. But the mela is still held in Magh. For example, the 1989 Kumbh Mela should have started in March. But it began in January instead.
Sometimes, Hindu astrologers have different ideas about the exact dates. This has led to Kumbh Melas being held in back-to-back years. For instance, this happened in 1941 and 1942 in Prayagraj. It also occurred in 1965 and 1966.
History of the Prayag Mela
According to Hindu mythology, the god Vishnu spilled drops of amrita. This amrita was a drink that gave immortality. He was carrying it in a kumbha (pot). These drops fell in four places. Prayagraj is one of these four places. These spots are now the sites of the Kumbh Mela.
The river-side fair in Prayagraj is very old. But its connection to the kumbha myth and the 12-year cycle is more recent. This connection only started in the 1800s. The priests of Prayagraj adopted these ideas from the Haridwar Kumbh Mela. They then applied them to their local Magh Mela. The Magh Mela itself probably started many centuries ago. It is mentioned in several ancient texts called Puranas.
Early Mentions of the Magh Mela
A Chinese traveler named Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) wrote about a possible early version of this fair. This was in 644 CE. Xuanzang wrote that Emperor Harsha would give away his wealth every five years. His treasury would then be refilled by his helpers. He described this event at a place where two rivers met. This place is believed to be Prayagraj. Xuanzang also mentioned that many people bathed at the river meeting point. They did this to wash away their sins.
Some experts believe this is the earliest historical record of the Kumbh Mela. However, some researchers note that Xuanzang's account describes an event every 5 years, not 12. It might also have been a Buddhist celebration.
Many holy groups, called akharas, believe that Adi Shankara started the Kumbh Mela in Prayag in the 700s. They say he did this to help holy men from different areas meet. But many scholars are not sure if this is true.
There are no records of a 12-year cycle Kumbh Mela in Prayag before the 1800s. An old text called Prayag Mahatmya mentions how holy Prayag is in the Magha month. But it does not mention any "Kumbh Mela." A spiritual leader from Bengal, Chaitanya, visited Prayag in 1514. He took part in a bath on the Makara Sankranti day. A Bengali text says he visited a Magh Mela, not a Kumbh Mela.
The 16th-century text Ramcharitmanas mentions the mela in Prayagraj as an annual event. But it does not talk about a 12-year cycle. Another text from the 1590s, Tabaqat-i-Akbari, also calls the mela annual. It says that after the harvest, so many Hindus came to the Triveni Sangam that the area could not hold them all. Ain-i-Akbari, also from the 1500s, says Prayagraj is especially holy in the month of Magha.
A text from the late 1600s, Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh, uses the term "Kumbh Mela" only for the mela at Haridwar. It only mentions that an annual mela exists at Prayagraj. Similarly, Yadgar-i-Bahaduri (1834 CE) states that the mela in Prayagraj happens every winter in Magha. This is when the sun enters Capricorn.
The British East India Company took control of the Prayagraj area in 1765. Early British records have detailed information about the annual Magh Mela. This information was collected for taxes and management. But none of these records call the mela "Kumbh." They also do not suggest any special importance or larger crowds every 12th year. In contrast, there are many records that use the name "Kumbh Mela" and mention a 12-year cycle for the Haridwar Kumbh Mela.
There are also records of Hindu princes asking for tax-free entry to the Mela in Prayagraj. All these records describe the mela as an annual event. Bholanath Chunder (1869) also mentions the "especial great mela" at Prayagraj as an annual one. He notes it was held in January.
Images for kids
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2013 Maha Kumbh Mela
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The Ashoka pillar at Prayagraj (photo Circa 1900) has writings from ancient times. Around 1575 CE, Birbal added a note about the "Magh mela at Prayag Tirth Raj".
