Abhay Kumar
The Kumbh Mela takes place every three years - rotating between the 4 holy cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. Each city hosts the Kumbh Mela once every 12 years.
The exact dates of the Kumbh are determined by the zodiac position of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon.
The Maha Kumbh takes place every 12 years and is primarily held at Prayagraj. Attending the Maha Kumbh helps one in achieving salvation.
The festival commemorates the struggle between the gods and demons to obtain the pot (kumbh) of nectar. Four drops of nectar fell in these 4 locations, which host the Kumbh today.
The water of the rivers at the confluence of the Kumbh Mela transforms into the nectar of immortality. Dipping these sacred waters is believed to heal and purify all impurities.
The Kumbh Mela is more than 2000 years old. The first written record of the festival is found in the travelogues of Chinese explorer Hiuen Tsang.
The Maha Kumbh in 2025 will take place between January 13 to February 26, 2025. More than 40 crore devotees are expected to attend it this year, the largest it has ever been.
The Kumbh Mela has adopted eco-friendly practices in recent years, including waste management, a ban on plastics, and the promotion of sustainable tourism.
UNESCO has recognised the Kumbh Mela in its representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
For Maha Kumbh 2025, a seven-tier security system is in place, and a Bharat Gaurav train service from Pune to Prayagraj has been established.