Kumbh Mela

The Kumbh Mela (Sanskrit: कुम्भमेला Kumbhamelā, Hindi: कुंभ मेला Kumbh Melā) is the world's largest gathering of humans. It is a Hindu pilgrimage observed every six or twelve years at one of the four locations across India.

The festival has been listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2017.

The most recent Kumbh Mela took place at Prayagraj in 2025. The next one will be hosted at Haridwar and Nashik in 2027.

There are two types of Kumbh Mela:

• Purn Kumbh Mela (Full Kumbh Mela) — observed every twelve years in one of the four cities across India: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain. According to the Puranas, these four sites are believed to have received drops of the divine nectar (amrita) during the Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean of milk).
• Ardh Kumbh Mela (Half Kumbh Mela) — observed every six years between two Purn Kumbhs at Prayagraj and Haridwar.

The Purn Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj is called "Maha Kumbh Mela" (Great Kumbh Mela). Contrary to popular belief, it is repeated every 12 years instead of 144.

Depending on the location, the Kumbh Mela is known by different names:

• Prayag Kumbh Mela — observed in 25.4581.851 Prayagraj at the confluence of Ganges and Yamuna rivers. Often called the "Prayag" or the "Triveni Sangam", it is believed to be a confluence of three rivers, with the third one being the legendary Sarasvati River.
• Haridwar Kumbh Mela — observed in 29.96666778.1666672 Haridwar at the Ganges River.
• Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha — observed in 2073.7833333 Nashik at the Godavari River.
• Ujjain Simhastha — observed in 23.18277875.7772224 Ujjain at the Shipra River.

The Prayag Kumbh Mela is held nearly three years after the Haridwar one, and nearly three years before the Ujjain one. The Nashik one is celebrated either in the same year as the Ujjain year or a year earlier.

The Kumbh Mela follows a combination of Hindu solar and lunar calendars, so the exact dates may vary every six or twelve years, except the "Sankranti" dates. It has three dates for ritual bathing.

• Prayagraj (January–February) — bathing dates at Makar Sankranti, Magh Amavasya (new moon) and Vasant Panchami.
• Haridwar (January–April) — bathing dates at Shivaratri, Chaitra Amavasya (new moon) and Mesh Sankranti.
• Nashik (August–September) — bathing dates at Simha Sankranti, Bhadrapad Amavasya (new moon) and Devotthan Ekadashi.
• Ujjain (April–May) — bathing dates at Chaitra Purnima (full moon), Chaitra Amavasya (new moon) and Vaishakh Purnima (full moon).

Bathing is the central ritual in the Kumbh Mela. During new moon (amāvāsyā or amāvasyā), the Hindu pilgrims welcome and wait for the 13 sadhus to bathe first, which is called shāhī snān (royal bathing). It is marked by a procession of banners, flags, elephants, horses and musicians, along with the naked monks (nāgā sādhu). Large crowds gather and cheer for this procession of monks, and once the bathing is done, the water becomes open for bathing by the pilgrims.

Many pilgrims fast and pray as part of their traditions. Some fast for an entire day, while others eat once a day.

• Watch the huge crowds gathering at a river bank.
• Witness the "holy dips" undertaken by monks and pilgrims.
• Explore the respective cities where the event is held.
• Visit monastic camps for yoga adepts, and religious and spiritual discourses.

The various activities organised during the Kumbh include religious and spiritual discourses (pravachan), devotional singing (kīrtan), classical dance and music performances, boat rides, laser shows, art galleries (kalāgrām) and many others.

The Kumbh Mela is strictly vegetarian as per Hindu traditions. Volunteers from charitable donations prepare community meals (mahāprasād) for pilgrims. Besides, there are multiple food stalls with delicacies from different parts of India.

Alcohol is strictly forbidden, as it's a place of sacred rituals and holy dip.

Many pilgrims tend to sleep at different camps. However, you may choose to book an accommodation, since all four cities have decent hotel options.

As one of the world's largest gatherings, the Kumbh Mela is very unsafe for those who are not experienced to large crowds, as well as for children and seniors. Deadly stampedes during the Kumbh are commonplace: the enormous crowds frequently panic and defy police. Be aware of your surroundings, especially around the railway station, bridges and rivers' edge.

Basic sanitation is lacking in many areas. Pilgrims not using toilets, flooding, and lack of drainage make diarrhea outbreaks common. Drink and use only bottled water and bring anti-diarrhoea medication.

Regardless of its sanctity, avoid drinking the river water directly. The rivers of respective locations have been very polluted for decades, especially Ganges and Yamuna rivers.

No matter how much you are tempted to click photos of the monks and pilgrims, avoid photographing individuals without consent.

Due to the immense popularity of the original Kumbh Mela, there have been attempts to promote other pilgrimage sites by organising Kumbh-style festivals.

• Banga Kumbh Mela (January–February) — observed every 12 years at Kalyani, West Bengal. The next one will be held in 2035.
• Bansberia Kumbh Mela (January–February) — observed every 12 years at Bansberia, West Bengal. The next one will be held in 2034.
• Mahamaham (January–February) — observed every 12 years at Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. The next one will be held in 2028.

Related annual festivals include:

• Magh Mela (January–February) — the annual version of the Kumbh Mela, observed near river banks as well as temple tanks. Regional variants include the Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal.
• Makar Sankranti (14-15 January) — a mid-winter harvest festival. It is considered auspicious on its own. Regional variants include the Magh Bihu in Assam and the Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
• Vasant Panchami (January–February) — a Hindu festival that marks the arrival of spring. Also called Saraswati Puja after the goddess.
• Shivaratri (February–March) — a Hindu festival that commemorates the marriage of the deities Shiva and Parvati.
• Mesh Sankranti (13-14 April) — the new year in various regional solar calendars. It corresponds to the Poyla Boishakh in West Bengal, which is similar to the Pohela Boishakh in Bangladesh.