MAHA KUMBH- Largest Congregation on the Planet

     Mass gathering of Hindu devotees to take dip in the Sangam river (confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers)

The oldest and the biggest religious congregation on the planet – The Maha Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years in Allahabad, U.P., India on the banks of India’s most sacred rivers. Around 100 million pilgrims gather on this occasion to take dip in the Sangam- the confluence of the mystic rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati to purify them of all their sins. It is one of the most auspicious pilgrimages of Hindus. 

                               ‘Kumbh’ literally means a pitcher. According to the Hindu mythology, due to the curse of the priest Durvasa Muni, the demigods lost their strength and went to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu on seeing their condition instructed them to churn Ksheer Sagar (ocean of milk) so as to get Amrit (nectar of immortality) but this required them to join hands with their archenemies, the demons. But anyways they came to an agreement and decided to share whatever comes out of the ocean equally between them. However, when the Kumbh containing the elixir appeared, both the parties became greedy and a started a war which went on for 12 days and 12 nights. During the war, Lord Vishnu (disguised as a beautiful woman called Mohini) flew away with the nectar spilling a few drops of it at the four places namely, Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Ujjain (MP) and Nasik (Maharshtra). 

                             Thus, people bathe in Sangam during Maha Kumbh, as they believe that it washes away all the sins and frees one's soul from the cycle of rebirth and death as the soul converges with God Almighty.

                  A Kumbh depicts one of the most sacred and oldest rituals passed on from generations and performed by elite Brahmin priests, witnessed by spectators from all around the world including sadhus, sages, monks, holy-men and women of different backgrounds and cultures who rarely make public appearances but come on great occasions such as the Maha Kumbh.

              It is fascinating to see that, despite the pollution and dirt in the area and the unhygienic bathing, people from all over the globe still come and take dip in the river- that's the power of faith, when nothing else matters but the need to honor the doctrines the religion.