Kumbha Mela

Main article: World Festival Calendar

Kumbha Mela is a religious ablution festival in India, which is celebrated four times over 12 years in four places, so that every city in Kumbha is held every twelve years. Sometimes due to astrological shifts, the holiday is held after 11 years.

Ardha (half) Kumbha Mela is held every six years in Haridwar and Prayagraj, while Purna (full Kumbha Mela always takes place in Prayagraj every twelve years). Maha (great) Kumbh Mela comes after 12 Purna Kumbh Mela, every 144 years (the last time was according to some sources in 1977 ^[1], according to others - in 2001^[2]). Indian media called the Maha Kumbh Mela festival also in 2013 and 2025.

Where and when the Kumbh Mela is held

The venue of the festival changes between four pilgrimage sites on four holy rivers:

• in Haridwar (literally the Door to God, aka Mayapuri) on the Ganges River,
• in Prayagraj at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers,
• in Ujjain on Shipra,
• in Nashik on Godavari.

The first three years since ancient times are revered sacred. Hardwar - "the gateway to the gods" - was called Maya in ancient times. It received its current name at the end of the XIV century, when the city was again built on the ruins into which it was turned by the troops of Timur. Hardwar is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, near the Sivalik Mountains, where the Ganges overlooks the plain. Being a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus in itself, Hardwar also lies at the beginning of the paths to other holy places in the Himalayas - Gangotri, Kedarnath, etc.

Ujjain, located on the banks of the Kshipra River (which is also considered sacred), is better known in Indian history than Hardwar. It was one of the largest centers of the Guptas empire and the Harshavardhana empire (606-646 AD). From here, in ancient times and during the Middle Ages, the path to South India began. There are more than a hundred temples in the city, of which 13 are especially revered. The religious center of Ujjain is the Mahakal temple dedicated to Shiva, destroyed in KhІІІ and restored in the XVІІІ century. In 1775, Ujjain was captured by the Marathas and was part of the principality of Gwalior, which was ruled by the Sindia dynasty before the liquidation of the principalities in independent India. In February 1978, in the town of Nagda near Ujjain, in the presence of one hundred thousand believers, the Vishnu temple was consecrated and opened, built at the expense (5 million rupees) of the Birla family.

Nasik remained somewhat aloof from the Kumbh Mela celebrations. According to local residents, in Nasik, the amrite drop is reminiscent of the fact that the city is on top of a triangle that includes the oil-bearing regions of Ankleshwar and the Mumbai shelf. Here it is believed that a drop of amrita has turned into oil - the nectar of the modern industry.

However, the most popular venue for kumbh mela is undoubtedly Prayag. Every year in January-February, the annual Magh Mela festival is held in Prayagraj, which attracts smaller but still significant crowds, and once every six years the Magh Mela is called Ardha Kumbha Mela (half of Kumbha Mela). See below for more details.

The celebration in each place is based on a certain set of astrological positions of the Sun, Moon and Jupiter.

The Kumbha Mela in Prayagraj lasts several weeks and is one of the largest festivals in the world. More than 200 million people visited it in 2019, including 50 million on the festival's most auspicious day.

Why pilgrims gather on chalk

Main article: Religion in India

The Myth of the Elixir of Immortality and Bathing in the Sangam

"From untruth lead us to the truth; from the darkness of the witch and us to the light; from death lead us to immortality. " This oft-quoted prayer from the Upanishads reveals a more universal truth that embraces cultures and religions, a longing for immortality. In Hindu history associated with Kumbh Mela, even gods seek to overcome death.

The legends that formed the basis of the celebration are set forth in the medieval religious texts Matsya Purana and Govinda Purana ^[3].

The myth of the foundation of Kumbh Mela says that once the gods who lived on earth lost part of their power due to the curse imposed on them, which deprived them of strength and courage. Brahma (a creator god with perfect knowledge of rituals) advised them to plow (beat into oil) the prehistoric milk ocean of the universe in order to obtain amrita - a wonderful elixir of immortality. To fulfill this difficult task, the gods concluded a temporary truce with asuras - demons (or, more precisely, titans).

Vishnu obeyed and became a turtle, and his shell became the basis on which to put an oil mill.

To appease the serpent king Vasuki, the demigods promised him a share of nectar, and he agreed.

Giant Vasuki turned around the legendary axis of the universe - the Himalayan of Mount Mandara, the demons took up their heads, the gods took up the tail, and the process went...

After 1000 earth years (and only 100 years flew for the gods), the work was completed - 13 wonderful artifacts appeared from the thickened milk, and after them the divine healer Dhavantari (it was this sage who passed on the knowledge of everyday life - Ayurveda) with a kumbha (jug) full of amrita. The word "kumbha" may be related to the Russian word "cup."

The truce was immediately forgotten, and the battle began, which lasted 12 years. Eventually, the divine bird Garuda (who carries Vishnu on her back) managed to take possession of the amrita kumbha and fly away with it.

According to another version, after the appearance of the pot, he was immediately grabbed by the Asurs. It seemed that everything was lost until Vishnu took the form of a charming virgin named Mohini (deceiver), and deceived the Asurs, the Kororians were fascinated by her beauty and allowed her to hold the Kumbha. She immediately handed the jug over to the gods, who carried it to heaven. As a result, the gods received immortality, and the Asuras lost it.

Stone statue of Mohini (the only female avatar of Vishnu), Empire of Western Chalukyas, 12th century, Gadak, Karnataka. National Museum of India in Delhi, photo by TAdviser

During the flight of Garuda or the gods, drops of the elixir fell on four earthly venues of Kumbh Mela, and it is believed that at the climax of each of them, the rivers again turn into this original nectar, giving pilgrims the opportunity to swim in the essences of purity, favorability and immortality.

Sadhu blessings, pacification of ego and finding harmony

Main article: Ascetics in India

Pilgrims flock to Kumbh Mela in their millions, not only to bathe in sacred waters but to receive the blessings of ascetics they have never seen in such numbers. They crowd to see the baba, as they call them, in the great processions of Shahi Snan.

To see the Baba up close, pilgrims can travel to the densely populated quarters of Akhara to perhaps have a chat with them or simply receive their silent blessing.

Ascetic meditates at his tent on Kumbha Mel in Prayagraj in 2025. Image of Trimurti, hearth, push-button phone, donations. Sector 19. TAdviser photo

Many religious leaders in 2013 emphasized one common theme: Kumbh is a place where a person must learn to get rid of his ego. Ego, the feeling of "me" and "me," is the root cause of arrogance, intolerance, fear, jealousy, tension and stress. How does Kumbha Mela help get rid of the ego? Sadhu Brahmavi-haridas explained:

"Kumbh is such a mind-boggling experience that makes a person humble. Spiritual leaders who come to Kumbha may have a large ashram, a permanent ashram. But here everything is temporary, and everyone is on the same level. The spiritual leaders who come to Kumbha realize that they are not the only ones; there are hundreds of those who lead the masses. Whether they say it or not, in their heart they accept it. Before the greatness of the Ganges and Yamuna, in the eternity of the sands of time, before the cosmic force, all are on the same earth, on the same level. And they also accept the fact that other people are doing a good job. Therefore, even spiritual leaders are resigned, which is very important for the leader. Even followers come to terms when they see thousands of other followers. Therefore, this very assembly, which humbles both believers and spiritual leaders before the energy of God, willy-nilly leads to harmony. Ego leads to disharmony, humility leads to harmony. They carry with them a lot of faith, a lot of hope, as well as a lot of humility. Whatever reason you come to Kumbha, whether you're looking for a guru or you're a guru looking for more disciples, you're coming to terms. And that humility leads to harmony. "

The origin of the festival and its name

Scholars who sought the origins of chalk in classical texts were disappointed. Although one scholar who has studied the history of Prayag found a text attached to the Skanda Purana that contains the myth of Amrita and links it to astrological events when the four Kumbh Melas occur, and places where nectar droplets were spilled.

It is generally accepted that the mention of a large astrologically defined chalk first appeared in connection with Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. According to researcher Prayag D. P. Dubey, "It appears that Kumbha Parva derives its name from the favorable time for ritual ablution that took place in Haridwar every twelfth year, when Jupiter was in Aquarius and the Sun entered the sign of Aries."

There is no historical literary evidence of mass pilgrimages called "Kumbha Mela" until the 19th century. There is sufficient evidence in historical manuscripts and inscriptions of the annual Magha Mel in India - with occasional large gatherings after 6 or 12 years - when pilgrims gathered in large numbers and where one of the rituals involved immersion in a river or sacred reservoir.

Magha is the name of the month of the lunar calendar, which falls on January and February.

According to historian Kama Maclean, the socio-political events of the colonial era and the reaction to Orientalism led to the renaming of the ancient Magha Mela as the modern Kumbh Mela, especially after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

The name Kumbh Mela seems to have been borrowed by Prayag from Kumbh Mela, which was conducted as it is today in Haridwar. McLean concluded that until the sixties of the 18th century there was no mention of Kumbh in Allahabad in text sources or of a special chalk occurring every twelve years, although Magh Mela was well known. The first modern Kumbh Mela probably took place in 1870.

The term "Kumbha" comes from the mythical vessel with the elixir that the gods fought for in the Puran myths, but it is also the Hindi name for the Aquarius zodiac sign, which contains Jupiter on the date of the Mela in Haridwar.

In the traditional Indian zodiac circle, the kumbh is depicted as Jayanta, the son of Indra, snatching a vessel of amrite during a battle between gods and asurs. He carefully holds a vessel with an amrite neck up, unlike our Aquarius, generously pouring moisture from a tilted jug.

Kumbha mela in Prayagraj

The city of Prayagraj (until 2018 Allahabad) is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Delhi is 612 km away and Mumbai is 1,502 km away.

For many centuries, the city was called Prayag, but in 1573, the Mughal king Akbar built a magnificent fortress at the confluence of three rivers and renamed the city Allahabad, the "city of Allah."

Prayag - the place of sacrifice

Brahma's sacrifice of ten horses during the creation of the world

The word "prayag" is usually called the place where grandiose sacrifices are held. There are fourteen prayags on the Ganges, and Prayag-raj, "king of all holy places" - is considered the most significant of them.

The Brahma Samhita tells how the god Brahma sought a place for the great yagya (sacrifice) to be performed by the creator during creation. He opted for terrain surrounded by the waters of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. Subsequently, this place began to be called Prayag.

Prayaga region extends from Pratishthana (Jhansi) to two Nagas (Kambala and Ashvatara) and then to Bhogavati, Vasuki Lake. This area is the Vedi - the sacrificial altar of Brahma.

In a narrower sense, the triangular area between the two rivers is a great sacrificial place, the earthen altar of the vedi.

It was previously mentioned that a place called Pratishthana Pur or Jhansi is home to many holy ^[4].

The Mahabharata claims that Brahma sacrifices were carried out on the site of Dashashwamedha-ghat. Brahma made ten sacrifices of Ashvamedha, hence the name: "dasha" - ten, and "ashvamedha" - the sacrifice of a horse who was killed by strangulation at the end of the ceremony. The purpose of the rite is to master the space of the universe and the beginning of a new time cycle.

The "Mahabharata" (Vana-parva) states: "The area located between Ganges and Yamuna is considered the middle of the Earth. Prayag is a holy and fertile place, the most fertile area on Earth. Prayag is a madhya, the central of the five Vedis - the sacrificial altars of the Earth. The rest of the Vedis are Kurukshetra, Gaya, Viraja and Pushkara. "

Similar statements are also found in the Brahma Purana, Skanda Purana and Markandea Purana. The "Maha Bharata" states that Prayag is considered the most revered holy place in the universe. The god Brahma claimed: "Prayagasya to the right-hander to the popes nashianti tatkshanam" - "In Prayag, man gets rid of all sins." Prayag is also known as "Tirtharaj Prayag," which means "the holiest of all holy places."

In the "Vayu Purana," Prayag is compared to the nose of the personified Vedas, and the "Varaha Purana" describes it as follows: "In Prayag is Triveni (the confluence of three rivers, the" veni "is a braided braid by women), home to Lord Shiva, who bears the names Sulatanka and Someshvara. Gentlemen Vishnu are called Venumadhava there and it is there that Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati merge together. Having washed in this holy place, a person goes to heaven, and the one who dies there leaves the material world for ever. Prayag is the king of all tirths and he is very dear to Lord Vishnu. "

Tirtha in Sanskrit is a sacred place where there is a spring, pond, lake, river or sea, the waters of which are considered holy. The word tirtha in translation means "ford," "crossing," but it must be borne in mind that the Sanskrit root "three" (tṛ), from which this word is formed, also has the meaning of "escape" (in a religious sense).

Across India, pilgrimages attract Hindus to bathe in sacred rivers and experience the festive life of mela. India has thousands of pilgrimage sites called tirthas, literally "crossing places." Many tirthas are located along the banks of the seven sacred rivers of India, representing both literal and symbolic crossing points or "fords." These are places where religious practices, simple or complex, bring more powerful spiritual fruits.

Prayag is believed to be the birthplace of Soma, Varuna and Prajapati. In addition, at one time he was the abode of the great sages (muni) Bharadwaja and Durvasa.

Pilgrims sacrifice comfort

The ancient sacrifice was a complex and expensive rite of worship by kings and wealthy sponsors. However, in Prayag, as in other great tirthas, the significance and power of sacrifice is attributed to simpler and more widely available acts of faith, namely pilgrimage and ablution in sacred waters.

One modern 2013 Kumbha Mel sadhu put it this way in an interview in his headquarters tent, next to his dhuni or hearth: The meaning of all this lies in the word prayag itself. The prefix "pra" means the first, main, original; and "yag" is yajna, a sacrifice. So Prayag, where we sit, is the main place of sacrifice. It's the best place to sacrifice and it's the best time to sacrifice. Kumbha Mela is a macrocosm of sacrifice. In the microcosm, in the family, the same thing happens.

For example, the mother sacrifices her personality and her interests to make the child as healthy as possible.

Here in the ascetic community, we also sacrifice our personal interests, our individuality for collective interests, and we become one of the parts of the collective. It's a sacrifice. This is Prayag.

There are many who made sacrifices here. In ancient times, rulers who sponsored great sacrificial rites did so for the benefit of the whole society. Ascetics, sadhus, and sannyasi (renunciation ascetics) give up the life and wealth of the householder to live the life of renunciation. Pilgrims who come sacrifice comfort at home and often take great hardship to swim in Sangam and get the darshan of the saints.

Pilgrims' hope of everlasting peace is usually met with dust, fire smoke, noise, cold and chaos. As morning sets in over the shimmering waters and sandy riverbeds, thousands of trembling pilgrims emerge from ragged tents, thatched huts or elaborate shelters to perform rituals and gain wisdom from the many sadhus.

They must make their way along crowded, muddy, makeshift roads of unevenly laid steel plates to reach the confluence and bathe in chilling water. They change outdoors and, if necessary, use one of 35,000 portable toilets. At this sacred carnival, along with the sanctity of the atmosphere, millions of participants also inhale fine sandy particles of ash smog.

The difficulties and hardships of Kumbh Mela for pilgrims are multiplied many times for kalpavasi, spiritual seekers who vow to spend the entire month of Magh on Kumbh Mela, devoting themselves to prayer, meditation, and satsang (group devoted singing). They temporarily abandon their families, live in flimsy tents without heating, follow the vow of celibacy, refrain from enjoying worldly pleasures, eat non-spicy vegetarian food once a day, and try to live a Spartan life of renunciation and devotion. They plunge twice a day - in the morning and in the evening - into the waters of the confluence, listen to spiritual conversations and participate in religious rituals. They also assist in the daily activities of the camp.

Why is it estimated that 2.5 million kalpavasi and tens of millions of pilgrims volunteer to sacrifice personal comfort and endure deprivation on Kumbh Mel? What do they get in return? While many respond by "achieving moksha (liberation)" or finding a "successful, prosperous life," some answers diverge strikingly. One of the volunteers at Swami Chidananda camp in 2013 explained: "Here I learn to live with others, understand their point of view and make adjustments so that we can work together in collaboration. We also help the community. We go out every day to clear the riverbank and get involved in the conservation of our environment.'

Laura, a kalpavasi from Denver, Colorado, at Sai Maa Mataji's camp, said: "Sixty of us from all over the world stay here throughout Kumbh Mela to learn the lessons of how to dissolve our ego."

Nalini, a volunteer at the Swami Awadheshananda Giri camp, remarked: "We need to practice how to be fully attached and completely detached at the same time. We spent weeks here building the whole camp enthusiastically, then we spent almost two months managing it, and then almost overnight we would need to dismantle it and leave - with complete detachment. Here we practice how to live with equanimity in this mortal world. "

Dana - Sacrificing Personal Wealth by Sponsors

There is another type of yajna associated with Kumbha mela: the offering of personal wealth by sponsors.

The Allahabad administration requested a state budget of about INR 1.55 billion, about $300 million, to build infrastructure and staff for the 2013 Kumbh Mela. But beyond roads, bridges and power plants, there are huge costs to erect and operate the temporary city of Kumbh Mela, which includes hundreds of large camps built and supported by traditional akhars and religious, social or cultural organisations. Many of these camps are scattered in the soft river sand space and provide accommodation and meals to thousands of ascetics and devotees for fifty-five days. They feed thousands of pilgrims two or three times a day for free.

The camps contain huge pavilions with sheds and tents for religious discussions and cultural performances. In the camps of many traditional Akhars, such as Juna Akhara, thousands of ascetic men and women burn hundreds of centners of firewood to have their dhunis smolder twenty-four hours a day.

Who covers the cost of Kumbh Mela? Who pays the company that supplies the tents? What about food and firewood delivery? Baba Rampuri of Jun Akhar visited over a dozen Kumbh Mela in Allahabad and at three other Kumbh Mela locations. He said that the patronage system usurped the traditional role of the Rajas. As Kumbh Mela approaches, wealthy patrons typically donate to Akhars and religious organizations to build camps that include temporary facilities, temples, meeting rooms, performance areas, kitchens, and drainage and sewerage systems. When all this is built, they again donate to maintain daily activities.

In addition, many wealthy and middle-class people associated with the guru and great leaders of Akhar not only donate, but also volunteer. Some people support congregations because they see it as their social responsibility, while others support charity for religious reasons.

In Hindu tradition, the commission of acts of charity has been associated with yajna (sacrifice) since the time of the Vedas. The word yajna comes from the Sanskrit verb root yaj, which has a triple meaning: worship, unity and charity. In Vedic times, many kings performed sacrifices such as ashwamedha (horse sacrifice) to earn punya, or religious merit, and increase the prosperity of the principality and its subjects.

In addition, the term dana is used to refer to charity. Dana is a "religious gift," and in Hindu ethics the most powerful and fruitful gifts are what is called gupt dan, meaning mystery and anonymity.

Dana, anonymous or nominal, is what keeps Kumbh Mela alive. Many donors may not be inclined to share their condition with others for non-religious reasons. Their victims and philanthropic contributions help promote humanitarian trends.

Many of these wealthy patrons also believe that by doing charity work they earn religious merit while helping the local community socially and economically. Ultimately, these charitable sacrifices make possible a fifty-five-day event that promotes the coexistence of millions of people from different religious traditions.

Kumbha Mela nurtures their faith, restores their social connections and helps shape a harmonious society. Moreover, the local economy is strengthened by the increased cash transactions that occur between thousands of large and small businesses, ranging from the construction of a temporary city to numerous merchants selling trinkets. Thus, sacrificing personal wealth for Kumbh Mela helps both the donor and society.

Ascetics sacrifice life by experimenting with it

Main article: Ascetics in India

For many hundreds of years, ascetics wandered the sacred geography of India, from the high Himalayas to the southern coasts, from populated plains to dense forests, in pursuit of worldly and otherworldly goals.

In the fourth century BC, during his brief invasion of northwestern India, Alexander the Great is said to have been struck by an encounter with ten Sadhu Nagas, who followed asceticism to the point of seeing food and clothing as harmful to the purity of thought.

The goal of Hindu ascetics was to acquire unusual temporal abilities (siddh), experience equanimity, or achieve bliss in a state of liberation (moksha).

There are countless variations in the ideologies, practices and clothing of ascetics in various Akharas. As a group, they can be called ascetics, hermits, saints, sadhus, yogis, baba or sannyasins. However, they are united by renunciation of personal ties.

Bhagavad-gita teaches the practice of four physical and mental disciplines or yogas:

• karmayogi (action yoga),
• jnyanayogi (yoga knowledge),
• bhakti yoga (loyalty yoga) and
• dhyana yoga (meditation yoga).

The ultimate goal of most yogis, whatever path they choose, is unity with the divine. However, Sondra Hausner, who studies the wandering sadhus of the Himalayas, argues that "ironically, merging with the divine is only possible through splitting or breaking the trap of material reality with its seeming social and physical laws of differentiation." The physical, social and psychological worlds of these renouncers are often symbolized by metaphors of sacrifice.

Most renounced traditional Akhars live around dhunis, personal sacred fire pits that are slow-burning symbols of the constant sacrifice they need to make to achieve their goals.

Based on his conversations with many renouncers, Hausner explains that the correct dhuni includes all five basic elements of the universe: elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space:

• the mud in the fire pit represents the earth;
• water is stored in a small pot by the pit;
• the mantras read by the sadhu represent air;
• the fire is ignited in dhuni;
• and space permeates and supports four other elements.

The world of the five elements present in the dhuni represents both the outer physical body of the renounced and the inner psychological body, both of which will one day burn and turn into ashes. "

Thus, the sacrifices of thousands of dhunis to Kumbh Mela represent the macrocosm and microcosm of the Hindu renouncers. The ash formed in the fire, known as vibhuti or bhasma, means the fact that all substances one day turn into the same gray dust. He reminds the renounced also of the impermanence of all material forms. The fire in dhuni supports the sacrifice of the renounced, reminding him of the need to break away from the external world of social relations and material pleasures, as well as from the internal world of thoughts and knowledge, from the splitting of the worldly, necessary for merging with the divine.

What do ascetics do on Kumbh Mela? In addition to the ritual ablution and public blessing for which they are famous, they actually engage in their spiritual aspirations in many ways.

Sri Sri Ravishankar explains:

"There are different methods and ways of worship in the Hindu tradition. Some make satsang, some just sit with dhuni, some sit in vairagya, which is complete impassive, some just bless those who come to them and some do nothing. They're just there.

You'll find all sorts of sadhus on Kumbh Mel. It's like a spiritual exhibition. In some places, you'll find it's beyond reasonable. You can't explain why they do what they do. This is freedom of worship. Everyone is free to find their own way. It is impossible to say whether he is correct or not. Everyone is free to explore his path in spirituality. The researcher doesn't say it's right, and it's wrong. He just wants to experiment with his life, experiment with the truth. In the process of experimenting, you can make wrong turns, and learn from it. That's the beauty of Hinduism. Hinduism is fundamentally liberal. He doesn't say you only have to believe in one book or one thing. He gives individual freedom of thinking, freedom to practice rituals the way they want. So this is an integral characteristic of Hinduism - harmony in diversity. "

Kumbha Mela promotes the unification of ascetics, scholars, practitioners, volunteers and pilgrims from different traditions. Most engage in discussion, reflection and meditation with the positive intention of elevating themselves and benefiting society. People cannot visit all the different places where ascetics and scientists come from, but they can all gather in one place to share their thoughts and experiences and learn from each other.

Triveni Sangam

The Ganga and Yamuna rivers originate high in the Himalayas in Gangotri and Yamunotri, places visited by pilgrims from all over India. Many sources of India's other sacred rivers are also considered holy, including

• upper Godavari, called Godavari Ganga, near Nashik, in today's Maharashtra;
• the source of the Narmada at Amarakantak in the Maikala Mountains of eastern India;
• and the source of Kaveri in Talakaveri in the Kurg Mountains of southwestern Karnataka.

As the Ganga, called Mandakini (meaning "river of heaven"), flows down the gorges of the Himalayan Mountains, it joins two other rivers, Alakananda in Rudra Prayag and Bhagirathi in Deva Prayag.

The great rivers of India are said to be of divine origin, and the waters of these rivers are considered the liquid form of the goddess Shakti, which is the energy of creation itself. Pilgrims believe that in Prayag, rivers flow with amrita, the "nectar of immortality," during the favorable period of Kumbh Mela.

In Prayagraj, a favorable place for swimming is at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati - Triveni Sangame, that is, the "Three Rivers of Confluence," or simply Sangame, "Confluence."

The popularity of Prayagraj and triveni is due to the belief in the special holiness of the waters at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna, with the belief that washing in these waters, as recorded in the Rigveda and Mahabharata, will cleanse the believer and his family of all committed sins and even crimes.

One common belief among many pilgrims is that the divine power of the confluence of the three rivers is so redeeming that regardless of human imperfections, mere washing here at a favorable time grants moksha (liberation from rebirth) already in this life.

The veneration of trivia is also expressed in the fact that after the cremation, the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and many other state and political figures in India were dispelled precisely over trivia.

Belief in the Saraswati River and the Third Eye

According to tradition, the Sarasvati River is invisible to an ordinary person, because it flows underground. Studies by the Department of Geology of India have shown that there are no underground flows in the area. As an explanation for the stubborn faith of millions of Hindus in the existence of Sarasvati, the so-called theory of a different dimension was put forward. Her supporters believe Saraswati exists, but it flows in the fourth dimension. You can see Sarasvati, for this you need to activate the "third eye," which is considered to be a light-sensitive pineal gland in the occipital part of the human skull (in many Hindu gods, the third eye is depicted in the middle of the forehead, above the bridge of the nose). Referring to the traditions of ancient saints and sages who have achieved enlightenment and the ability to penetrate the essence of things, supporters of the "fourth dimension theory" argue that through long exercises and righteous life, one can achieve the activation of the mentioned gland and not only see Sarasvati, but also be able to read people's thoughts, predict events. However, even the legendary sages could "see" Sarasvati only once every 12 years, that is, during Kumbh ^[5]

According to modern scholars, a river called Sarasvati previously really existed and was one of the largest in the Vedic period. Most scholars identify the Saraswati River with the modern seasonal Ghaggar-Hakra River. For more information on the reasons for its disappearance, see the section "IV thousand BC: Culture of the Ghaggar-Hakra River" in the article History of India.

Astrological aspects

In accordance with the calculations made on the basis of the texts of the Rigveda, in 360 days the Sun passes through all 12 signs of the zodiac. Thus, once a year, the Sun enters the sign of Kozerog. This day is called Makara-sankranti, and is considered the beginning of the period most favorable for the administration of religious rituals and other spiritual activities. Unlike the Sun, Jupiter stays in each zodiac sign for one year. Therefore, he enters each sign only once every 12 years.

In Prayagraj, the Kumbha Mela is celebrated when the Sun and Moon coincide in the sign of Makar (Capricorn), and Jupiter is in the sign of Aries or Taurus. Once every twelve years, the Sun simultaneously enters as the sign of Kozerog, and Jupiter - as the sign of Aries. This period is called Kumbha-snana yoga, and it is at this time that Kumbha-mela is celebrated (only on the day of Amavasya (new moon) in the month of magha).

In principle, at this time Jupiter should be in the sign of Taurus, but since Jupiter's revolution around the Sun takes 11.86 years instead of twelve, sometimes the Kumbha Mela is noted at the time when Jupiter is in the sign of Aries. Based on astrological calculations, Jupiter passes one house in 84 years, so out of every seven Kumbh Chalk, six are celebrated once every 12 years, and the seventh is celebrated after 11 years.

According to the description voiced by Prabhupada, when certain planets line up in the form of a jug, the nectar of immortality from this jug spills on Triveni.

Ablution

In the Brahma Purana, the ablution in Prayag is described as follows: "Ablution in Prayag, performed in the month of magha, bestows a good equal to the good from the performance of many millions of sacrifices of ashvamedha." In the month of magha, when planets occupy a certain position, amrita from the milk ocean fills the waters of Triveni Sangam. Such moments are considered the most favorable for ablution, for they grant the spiritual ^[6]

Praises of swimming in Sangam and drinking its waters are ubiquitous in the Puranas. Two examples of many hundreds suffice:

If a person washes and drinks water where Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet, he enjoys liberation, and there is no doubt about this (Padma Purana Uttara Khanda 23.14).

Those who wash in the bright waters of the Ganges, where they meet the dark waters of Yamuna during the month of Magh, will not be reborn even in thousands of years (Matsya Purana 107.7).

For most pilgrims, sacred immersion in rivers has the greatest spiritual value. They dip completely into the water once, two, three times, and then take the water into their cup-folded palms to pour back into the river as an offering to the gods and ancestors. They make offerings with flowers and oil lamps, lowering them through the mother's waters.

Many pilgrims board a boat and sail to a makeshift dock that allows them to swim directly at the confluence of rivers.

For those kalpavasi who made a vow to stay for a whole month, Ganga Snan (bathing in Ganga) is a rite that is held once or twice a day.

During Kumbh Mela, it is recommended to perform the following kumbh-snana yoga or snana parva (ablution), timed to certain days:

1. Powsha Purnima (Full Moon).

2. Makara-sankranti (The day the Sun enters the sign of Kozerog).

3. Mauni Amawasya (New Moon).

4. Vasanta Panchami (Fifth Day of the Arriving Moon).

5. Magha Purnima (Full Moon and Total Lunar Eclipse).

6. Maha-Shiva-ratri (Lord Shiva Appearance Day).

Mauni Amavasya, Makara Sankranti and Vasanta Panchami are the days when various Akhars (religious directions) hold processions on elephants, on horses and camels, ending with general washing in the Ganges, Shahi Snan or Rajyogi Snan (royal washing) - a colorful rite. Processions of sadhus from various akhars solemnly move towards the river with elephants and horses, on tractors or trucks with platforms decorated with flowers and a royal umbrella. They are followed by akhar members carrying the insignia of their order, their scantily clad or fully naked bodies anointed with ashes.

Pilgrims believe that part of the virtue and wisdom of the saints, who are the first to plunge into the sacred waters, passes to them.

The procession is accompanied by reading mantras, singing and playing musical instruments. Mahanta (religious leaders) sit in palanquins fortified on the backs of elephants.

There is a strict sequence with which various akhars march to the waters of sacred rivers during the days of shahi-snana. By tradition, Nagas are the first to march on ablution, and the ritual ablution of Nagas attracts especially many pilgrims.

When sadhus pass for bathing, it is believed that around themselves they spread waves of shakti - the most powerful healing energy that they have accumulated over decades of their yogic practices.

Prabhupada in 1971 said that sadhus who came to the holiday are not saints, although many of them were powerful yogis and crossed over in four hundred years. These yogis come to Mela from the most remote places in India, and at the end of the holiday they return to their secluded dwellings again.

He said: "I personally saw them washing themselves in seven sacred rivers as they enter the Ganges. They dive into the Ganges and surface in the Godavari River. Then they dive again, and pop up in the Krishna River, and so on. "

"Is it true that when they wash here, they gain liberation?" one of his students asked.

"Yes," Prabhupada replied, "it's true. They come here for the release of Lokanath ^[7]

Pilgrims who remain in Prayag for forty-one days and perform all the main sacred ablutions are awarded the honorary title of kalpavasi, participants of Kumbh Mela.

In his pamphlet "Kumbha-Mela," Swami Lokanath gives the story of Dina-bandhu prabhu, who attended the shahi-snana ceremony held in Allahabad in 1989:

"The 1989 Kumbha Mela began on Makara Sankranti day. The opening of the holiday was very magnificent, and all pilgrims are covered with real religious ecstasy. On the evening of January 13, the air temperature dropped to zero, but this annoying circumstance did not upset the pilgrims in the least. As soon as midnight fell, thousands of people entered the waters of sacred rivers. Dipping into the icy water, pilgrims exclaimed: "Bolo Ganga-mata ki jai!" (Glory to mother Ganga!). Coming out of the water, the cold-shaking pilgrims immediately wrapped themselves in wool blankets, while thousands of others rushed to their place. Continuously exclaiming, "Bolo Ganga-mata ki jai!," the pilgrims entered the sacred waters.

As the sun rose, we saw huge crowds of pilgrims slowly moving towards the sangam. In the center of a huge mass of people stood out a magnificent procession announcing the official beginning of Kumbh Mela. Orchestras played, jubilant people danced, colorful flags and banners were hoisted in the air.

The procession was led by the Nagas - the famous Indian nagie sadhus. Striving for liberation, these people rejected the world. In the hope of escaping the suffering that abounds in the material world, they indulge in penances, observing a vow of celibacy and poverty. Their only goal is mukti, liberation. Their hair is matted, their bodies are covered with ash, in the hands of tridents - a symbol of admirers of Shiva. With noise entering the water, they buzzed into the sinks and sang: "Jai jai Shivashankara! Jai Gangadevi!, "and then began splashing sacred water on each other, frolicking like children. Nagov is often referred to as Ganga's children.

Then the Vairags came to ablution, - traveling monks who devoted their lives to Lord Vishnu, the Keeper of the world. Each member of their community considers himself a servant of God, an integral part of the Supreme Being. It is believed that the Wairags reach a transcendent spiritual level, rejecting the inherent desire of materialists to enjoy, as well as abandoning the desire to merge with the impersonal aspect of the Absolute.

They were followed to the sacred waters by representatives of other religious sects - ascetics dressed in saffron clothes and bearing staves - symbols of renunciation of the world. India's centuries-old spiritual history took place before our eyes as the Nagas, Vairags, Shaivites, Shankarites, Ramanuji, Madhavas, Nimbarkas and Gaudis took turns to bathe in the Sangam.

The flow of sadhu was not interrupted for several hours. After that, the general washing of all pilgrims began.

Standing waist-deep in the water, pilgrims scooped up the water with their palms and then, following an ancient tradition, offered it to the sky. The boaters guided their pilgrim-crowded boats to a small shoal in the center of the sangam, which soon disappeared from view, filled with a huge crowd. "

Tent Camp and Fair

They say that you need to understand chalk in order to truly recognize India. Mela is a large religious fair where spiritual life and the world of trade and entertainment converge. It is a meeting place for people from all walks of life and from all over India, and it is a microcosm of the spiritual life of Hindu India.

Many of the Indian chalks last only a few days. The annual Cretaceous in Prayagraj lasts an entire Magh month every winter.

Magh Mela is about four times smaller than Kumbh Mela. However, like Kumbha Mela, Magh Mela attracts pilgrims as well as kalpavasi - devout people who vow to stay for the entire month. They bathe daily in rivers, pray, meditate and listen to teachers' speeches.

The street grid, tent city and combination of religious life and festivities is an annual diminished version of the great Kumbh Mela. "What attracts them as a magnet, all at the same time, the same place, is still a living force of religious tradition," writes Dubey, a Prayaga historian. "Miniature spiritual India is represented ​​na a dry floodplain between Ganga and Yamuna during the permeating cold of the month of Magha."

As the dates of Kumbh Mela approach, each of the orders receives an official invitation to the chalk from the responsible government bodies. The event is called Pravesh, or "Entrance," and begins when the Akhars and their leaders, the Mahamandaleshwaras, make their procession into the territory of Kumbh Mela. It marks the start of a camp that will be in place for nearly two months. However, in preparation for this moment, workers are already setting up camp.

In 2013, Akhar land allotments, called "Sector 4," were in the most selected area of Kumbh Mela territory, almost near the river bank. The perimeter of each camp is marked and each order conducts a bhumi puja (earthly prayer) to consecrate the land at the central altar of the camp. Each camp raises a huge flagpole symbolizing the akhara deity. A large gate marking the entrance to the akhara has been built along one of the main roads.

Both in number and scale of the structures, the largest Akhara of the Kumbh Mela camp is Juna Akhara. Like others, before it was a paramilitary monastic order, which included merchants and ascetic warriors. They competed for primacy at every chalk, including the right to bathe and the right to receive alms of pilgrims. Asceticism is associated with power.

The Velikaya Kumbh Mela is much larger and more significant than other melas, but has some of the same elements. Pavilions built along the main streets of the city of Kumbh have colorful gates decorated with flags, flashing lights and rotating fluorescent turntables.

Crowds of pilgrims are welcomed in large halls where hundreds of people can sit for conversations by a famous teacher, for whom the great chalk is a chance to gather their followers and attract new ones. Gurus sit with their disciples and interpret sacred texts. Yogis demonstrate their spiritual achievements. Popular singers and musicians are invited to perform.

Some of the large pavilions are built specifically to house theatre companies that perform lilas, religious plays in which actors perform favorite scenes from Ramayana or Krishna's life. These performances take place twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, and culminate in worship, religious songs, and a ceremonial offering of lamp and flowers to the principal actors depicting the deities. Lilas use a multimedia approach that gives the chalk vivacity and energy.

Outside, along the streets of Kumbh Mela camp, hundreds of traders sit selling both essentials and various goods and trinkets of religious life. They lay out their goods on the ground or take them through the streets in carts. For them, chalk is a great business opportunity.

Thus, the chalk combines the festivities of the festival and the fair with the intention and devotion of the pilgrimage. For pilgrims, it's a family affair. On quieter chalk days, bathing in sacred rivers can be replaced by a moment of reading and reflection and perhaps a family picnic on the riverbank with sweet cotton wool and turntables for children.

In the evening, pilgrims can come to the riverbank for one of the arati (offerings to the Ganges) who make pujari (priests) raising huge, multiphytile oil lamps to the river. The rites are simple but important to Kumbh Mela's spiritual experience.

Fort

Akbar built a fort on the ruins of a fortified city from the time of Ashoka. The city does not have such historical temple complexes as in Haridwar, Ujjain, Puri or Dwarka.

A Dobuddian column mentioning Magha Mela, on which Ashoka ordered his edicts to be applied

Inside the fort in Prayagraj, where the arsenal has been located since colonial times, there is a column.

Explorer John Irwin agrees with historians Krishnaswami and Ghosh that the Allahabad Pillar never moved and was always at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. According to him, the origin of the pillar undoubtedly dates back to the times before Ashoka. This conclusion is supported by basic and secondary inscriptions, as well as text evidence.

According to Irwin, analysis of minor inscriptions and ancient scribbles on the pillar first seen by Cunningham, also noted by Krishnaswas and Ghosh, shows that they included years and months that "always fall on the month of Magha, which is associated with Magha Mela," a Hindu festival of pilgrimage and ablutions.

Archaeological and geological studies carried out since the 1950s, Irwin argues, have shown that rivers, especially the Ganges, now have a different channel than in the distant past. The original route of the Ganges River had settlements dating from the 8th century BC. This ancient river path placed a pillar closer to the confluence bank.

Further, to the east of the pillar, there are the remains of an ancient massive well (samudra-kup in the early Sanskrit texts), in the direction of the ruins of Pratishtan (now Jusi). Vasuki Temple and Alarkapuri, which pilgrims visit after ritual ablution as part of their traditional parikrama (detour, Magha Mela), are also ancient and correspond to early Sanskrit texts.

According to Irwin, the pillar itself is Dobuddian, to which Ashoka added an inscription in Brahmi script to convey his decrees to the masses of pilgrims and Buddhist monasteries preserved there. He adds: "We also know with confidence that its original emblem was not a lion as previously assumed, but a bull of the Dobuddian, Brahmanic religion."

According to Karel Verner, an Indologist known for his studies of religion, in particular Buddhism, Irwin's work "convincingly showed that the pillar did not appear in Kaushambi," but was in Prayag from pre-Buddhist times as the center of a very ancient cult of the pillar and was later incorrectly attributed to Ashoka.

Yupa, or Yupastambha, was a Vedic sacrificial pillar used in Ancient. India It is one of the most important elements of Vedic animal sacrifice rituals.

The execution of the animal, which was tied to the yupa, was supposed to bring prosperity to everyone. Most of the Yup, and all from the Vedic period, were wooden and did not survive.

Patalpuri Underground Temple With 46 Statues And 'Imperishable Stump' Of Banyan Tree

In addition to the column, the ancient underground Patalpuri temple is located within the boundaries of the fort, known for its 46 statues of Hindu gods and the "imperishable stub" of the banyan tree. Temple attendants replace the stump every three years in the same way as Amarnath pandas regularly update the ice image of Shiva in the cave. The veneration of this stub is associated with the "eternal banyan tree" (akshayvat) growing on the banks of the Yamuna River. According to botany professor Shri Ranjan, this banyan is over 600 years old. Fanatics of faith, in order to achieve the shortest way of salvation, souls rushed from the branches of the tree and drowned in the waters of Yamuna.

Who participates in the festival

During the annual Magha Mela in Prayagraj, residents of nearby areas usually gather, and pilgrims from all over India flock during Kumbha Mela.

Participants in Kumbh Mela are members of all walks of religious life in Hinduism, ranging from sadhus (holy people) who remain naked or observe the most severe physical discipline all year round, to hermits who leave their privacy only for these pilgrimages, and even silk-clad teachers using the latest technology.

Authorities estimate that about 200,000 ascetics were present at Kumbha Mel in Allahabad in 2013.

Pilgrims are drawn to the prospect of darshan, the "sacred contemplation" of saints, which is the power of simply contemplating them and receiving their blessing. What characterizes Kumbh Mela every twelve years is not only its enormous size, but also the massive presence of sadhu orders. These orders are called Akhars.

On Kumbh Mela, some of the brightest ascetics show their indifference to discomfort and pain by holding one hand in the air for years, lying on a bed with nails or sitting in meditation on iron swings suspended above a burning fire. They usually walk barefoot in winter and summer, beating the cold and heat. Their blatant rejection of the comforts of settled life gives them strength in a world dominated by consumerism and the concept of what they call "get and keep."

Religious organizations represented range from social welfare societies to political lobbyists. Huge crowds of students, friends and spectators join individual ascetics and organizations.

The Naga Akhara (Akhada), militant ascetic orders whose members previously earned a living as mercenary soldiers and traders, often claim the holiest places at the most favorable moment of each Kumbh Mela. Although the Indian government is currently enforcing the established bathing order, history is indicative of bloody disputes between groups vying for primacy.

13 Akhar

Main article: Ascetics in India

Kumbh Mela is the time when disowned and ascetics gather for the order. They dedicate members, and initiation ceremonies in which new members are shaved and exposed like newborns constitute one of the important iconic moments of mela. At their meetings, the Akhars also discuss politics. They elect officials.

In chalks, Akharas demonstrate the efficient work of a complex hierarchical organization, despite the common misconceptions that they are a disparate group of otherworldly and usually lonely hermits.

In January 2019, there were 13 akhars allowed to participate in Kumbh Mel in Prayagraj. They formed Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad with two representatives from each of the 13 Akhars to manage Akhar-related affairs in all Kumb Melas and across the country.

A. Sanyasi Akhara of the followers of Shiva:

1. Niranjani Akhara and her daughter 2. Ananda Akhara,

3. Juna Akhara and its subsidiaries 4. Avahan Akhara and 5. Agni Akhara,

6. Pari Akhara, akhara of sadahavi women (saints), was first incorporated into Praiagraj Kumbh starting in 2013 as a daughter akhara of one of the existing akhars.

B. Vairagi Akhara, also Bairagi Akhara (Hindi: बैरागे अखाड़ा) of Vishnu followers:

8. Mahanirwani Akhara (or simply Nirwani) and its subsidiary 9. Atal Akhara, 10. Nirmohi Akhara, 11. Digambara Akhara and 12. Halsa akhara

S. Udasi Akhara followers of Hinduism (with Sikh practices): 13. Nirmal Akhara

D. Kalpavasi nirwani (Hindi: कल्पवासी अखाड़ा) followers of Brahma. As a rule, these are ordinary people who temporarily live in harsh conditions during the Kumbh mela in order to imitate the Vanaprastha (Sanskrit: वनप्रस्थ) of "going to the forest" in the late stage of life. In this sense, kalpavasi akhara is temporary without permanent organization or leadership.

Naga Sadhu Recruitment of New Members

Diksha - initiation into the order of Akhar takes place on Kumbha Mel.

In mid-January 2025, Maha Kumbha began a unique recruitment of initiation candidates as Naga-sadhu (naked hermits).

Thousands of young Sanyasi ready to become nagas in different akharas, with the intention of sacrificing everything for Sanathan Dharma, have applied for it. Akhara issues registration questionnaires with which people who wish to become Naga are secretly interviewed. Their data is checked. Those who meet all the criteria in the Juna akhars, Sri Niranjani, Sri Mahanirwani, Avahan, Atal and Anand will be initiated in the Naga Sanyasyins.

About 2,000 people will be ordained to naga sanyasa in Juna akhara and 1,100 sadhus will become naga sanyasins in Sri Niranjani Akhara, wrote the Times of India^[8]. Similarly, the process began in the akhars of Shri Mahanirwani, Atal, Anand and Aavahana.

During the verification of the applications, 53 people from Juna akhara and 22 from Niranjani akhara were found to be non-compliant. Candidates have been scrutinized at three levels. The investigation process begins in six months.

Thanapati akhary, Ashtakoshal Mahant, investigates the profile and activities of the candidate. The report is handed to Acharya Mahamandleshwar akhara, who again entrusts the investigation to Pancham akhara.

By this time, the ordination ritual at Naga Sadhu had been performed on the banks of the Ganges for the first group. The initiation process takes place on different days in each akhara. On January 18, a mundan (hair tonsure) was held for sanyasi at Juna Akhara.

These sanyasi performed their own pind daan (a ritual for deceased souls), thereby stating that they, although still alive, have no connection to the materialistic world.

It has been mentioned that initiation into an ascetic order involves the symbolic laying of a cremation on his own bonfire. When their bodies are decorated with ash, it symbolizes the ashes of another life. They are the winners of death.

Naga's dedication concludes on the night of Amrit Snan in Mauni Amavasya. All candidates stand naked under the flag of their religion. Acharya Mahamandleshwar dedicates them to nagas through rituals. Sabhapati (the person presiding over the ceremony) will inform them of the akhara rules and regulations and take a vow. Once the process is complete, everyone will be sent to bathe Amrit Snaan in Sangam.

Juna Akhara

Similarities link ascetics and pilgrims with unifying threads, there is no need to eliminate disagreements in order to live together.

Baba Rampuri from Jun Akhar in 2013 gave many examples illustrating the dissolution of theological and ideological differences. Juna Akhara, one of the largest with approximately 400,000 ascetics, is divided into fifty-two lines. It is a fundamental Shaivite tradition founded by Adi Shankaracharya, the accepted first guru. Yet the chosen deity of all 52 lines is Guru Dattatreya, who is considered an avatar of Vishnu.

Therefore, Jun Akhar's ascetics greet each other with "Om Namo Narayan," invoking one of Vishnu's names even though they worship Lord Shiva.

The Juna Akhara tradition not only adopted various Hindu deities and gurus, but also adopted Buddhists and Muslims within the tradition and elevated them as heads of their lines. Baba Rampuri notes that one of Juna Akhara's fifty-two lineages was founded by Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche "Precious Guru."

Padmasambhava was instrumental in the transfer of Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet and is considered an emanation of Amitabha Buddha. Recognizing that Juna Akhara includes a lineage associated with Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, the Dalai Lama frequently visits Juna Akhara camp during Kumbh Mela.

In addition, the line to which Rampuri itself belongs is known as the Multani of Marhi Juna Akhara. It is called Multani Marhi because it was founded by a Hindu-Sufi saint named Multani Baba, also known to Hindus as Keshav Puri Baba and to Muslims as Pir Shah Shams-i Tabriz, a Rumi teacher. Multani Baba's grave is located near the town of Multan in Pakistan.

Multani Baba had both Hindu and Muslim disciples. He wrote books on both Sufi and Hindu themes. When he left his body, he instructed that he be buried in the traditional way of Hindu sannyasi, sitting in a meditative position in an underground cave, small in hand. However, he argued that the kabr, a Muslim grave, even if empty, should be built next to the samadhi.

In many ways, Kumbh Mela promotes the coexistence of various traditions that have partially sacrificed their theological, ideological, cultural and social differences for the sake of interacting with each other and seeking mutual understanding and even harmony.

The spatial structure of Jun Akhara camp on Kumbh Mel in 2013

As can be seen in the case of Juna Akhara, the central space of the camp is marked with a flag. This religious core ​​okruzheno an open public space. The axis leading to this space is the most attractive, desirable place with maximum visibility for visitors. Proximity to the central sacred circle determines the spatial hierarchy.

Aghori

Aghori (from Sanskrit: अघोर, lit. "fearless") is a Hindu monastic order of ascetic Shaivites sadhu.

Adherents of Shiva manifested as Bhairava, Aghori seek liberation (moksha) from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth (samsara). This freedom is achieved through the realization that the "I" (atman) is identical to the eternal and formless metaphysical Absolute called Brahman. Aghors claim that all opposites are ultimately illusory.

Like their Shaivite predecessors, the Aghori participate in posthumous rituals, often inhabiting cemeteries, covering their bodies with ashes after cremation, and using the bones of human corpses to make kapal (skull bowls that Shiva and other Hindu deities in iconography often hold) and ornaments. They also practice posthumous cannibalism by eating meat from harvested human corpses, including those taken from cremation ghats.

Aghori believe that it is necessary at all costs to plunge into complete darkness, and then go out into the light and self-realize. Although this approach differs from other Hindu sects, they consider it effective.

Famous pilgrims

Krishna and his followers are believed to have visited Prayag. In Treta-south, Ramachandra, along with Lakshman and Sitadevi, lived repeatedly in the Bharadwaja Muni ashram near the confluence of three rivers. Prayag was the first city Rama visited, going to a fourteen-year exile from Ayodhya. Five Pandavas: Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva also stayed in Prayag. This is told in the "Mahabharata," in a chapter called "Vana-parva."

Before the battle of Kurukshetra, Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna, refused to participate in the battle of Pandavas and Kauravas and decided to visit all the holy places of India. Having visited Naimisharanya, where he killed Romakharshana, Balarama, following the course of the Sharayu River, arrived in Prayag.

In Prayag, Balarama washed himself in sacred waters and performed prescribed religious rituals.

It is known that the Buddha also made a pilgrimage to Prayag.

It is claimed that in preparation for the campaign to the East, Alexander the Great asked his mentor Aristotle what to send him from India. The philosopher replied: water from the Ganges and holy books of Hinduism.

There is evidence that Huang Tsang, a Chinese emperor who lived in the 7th century, visited Prayag. The emperor attended a meeting of traveling sadhus, sannyasi and famous Indian thinkers. Among other things, he watched with interest how offerings were made to the Buddha, the Sun, Shiva, Buddhist monks and Brahmans.

The Chinese traveler Xuan Jiang witnessed in 643 an episode of the trip of Harsha, the ruler of Northern India in 606-646, to Prayag to celebrate Kumbh Mela. The ruler was accompanied by 20 vassal kings and a caravan of elephants. The trivia gathered 500 thousand people from all over India. Harsha distributed to priests and pilgrims the wealth accumulated over the previous five years, and returned to his capital Kanauj in a borrowed loincloth.

Tradition attributes the origin of Kumbh Mela in its modern form to the turn-of-the-8th-9th century philosopher Shankara, who established regular meetings of ascetic scholars for debate.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, visited Prayag in the first third of the 16th century, heading from Jagannath Puri to Vrindavan. Chaitanya lived in the house of Vallabhacharya, where his meeting with one of his successors and close companions Rupa Goswami took place.

Returning back, he spent the entire month of magha in Prayag (January and February). This time, Chaitanya lived near Dashashvamedha-ghat - a place that is associated with the sacrifices of Brahma (see above).

The "Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata" recounts that Nityananda, the second of the founders of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, visited Prayag on his way to Mathura: "Arriving in Prayag in the month of magha, he washed himself at the confluence of rivers in the early cold morning and then continued on to Mathura, where in the past south he appeared in the guise of Balarama."

Advaita Acharya, one of Chaitanya's close companions, also stayed in Prayag on his way from Varanasi. Arriving there, he shaved his head, after which he washed himself in the waters of three sacred rivers. He then made an offering to His ancestors and continued on.

In 1894, Prayag was visited by the famous American writer Mark Twain.

Being a grihastha, Srila Prabhupada lived in Prayag for 13 years, and there in 1932 he received a dedication from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

Lahiri Mahasaya, the spiritual teacher of the famous yoga Paramahamsa Yogananda (who wrote "Autobiography of Yoga"), met his future guru - the legendary and immortal master of kriya yoga Mahavatar Babaji at Kumbha Mela.

History of the festival

2028: Simhastha Kumbha Mela in Ujjain

Simhastha Kumbha Mela 2028 will be held in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) from April 9 to May 9, 2028. The holiday is timed to coincide with the transition of the planet Jupiter as a sign of the zodiac Leo (Simcha), a rare and favorable astrological event.

2025: Maha Kumbha Mela in Prayagraj

Kumbha Mela 2025 runs from January 13 to February 26. This year's Maha (great) Kumbh Mela, which takes place after 12 ordinary Kumbh Mela, i.e. once every 144 years, is celebrated, organisers said. Therefore, tens of millions of people from many states of India and from other countries came to the holiday.

Key ablutions:

• January 14 - Makar Sankranti
• January 29 - Mauni Amavasya is considered the most favorable day for ablution during Kumbh Mela
• February 3 - Basant Panchami and
• February 26 Maha Shivaratri.

Position of the Planets 29 January 2025

About 40 people died in the stampede

The incident occurred during Amrit Snan (Amrit bathing) on Mauni Amavasya Day, considered the most auspicious day of the festival. Around 100 million people were expected to be present on the day of the incident.

The stampede began at around 1am as the crowd poured forward to bathe in Sangam, which is considered the most sacred place to swim.

Sangam is marked as Sector 3 on the map. The Naga Sadhu were located with Sector 19. Akhary - in Sector 20

Festival Special Executive Director Akanksha Rana said the incident started after the festival barrier broke, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath blamed the incident on worshippers trying to climb over fences limiting the bathing area for akhars.

As pilgrims tried to escape the site of the first stampede, which officials said was "insignificant," they fell into another stampede at the exit. They then returned to the pontoon bridges for another way out, sparking another stampede when it emerged the bridges had been closed by authorities. Some participants resorted to jumping over fences.

Officials tried to draw arriving crowds away from the stampede and, using megaphones, offered to swim elsewhere, but were pushed back by visitors.

Some of the victims were sleeping on the riverbank when they were trampled on by other believers trying to swim. Other people sleeping on the banks of the river were beaten with wooden sticks by police trying to lead them away before the crowd arrived. Authorities initially denied there had been a stampede or victims before announcing on the evening of January 29 that at least 30 people had died.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported that at least 39 people died, and the death toll is expected to rise.

Tent city with 180 thousand tents, an area of ​ ​ 40 square meters. km

Preparations for Maha Kumbh Mela were officially completed on December 10, 2024. A temporary tent city was built - with roads, water supply, telecommunications towers. It covered an area of ​ ​ 40 square meters. km For comparison: the territory of the city of Gatchina, the center of the Leningrad region, is about 29 square meters. km, Naryan-Mara - 45 square meters. km

The town of 180 thousand tents is divided into 25 districts. 12 copies of temples dedicated to the god Shiva were built.

The city has electricity, to which 67 thousand street lights and 23 thousand surveillance cameras are connected. As an additional security measure, 20 drones are monitored in 24/7 mode. Also, more than 150 thousand mobile toilets are installed in the tent camp. 20 thousand workers were engaged in maintaining cleanliness.

Flag in the center of the sacred space of the Juna Akhara camp. Photo by TAdviser, January 28, 2025

Indian Government, Uttar Pradesh State Set Aside Rs 75 Billion To Organise Holiday

The federal government of India allocated 21 billion rupees to organize the festivities, the authorities of Uttar Pradesh - 54.35 billion rupees. In total - 75.35 billion rupees (about 91.2 billion rubles). For comparison: the budget for the 2024 World Friendship Games in Kazan was 8.4 billion rubles.

From a financial standpoint, Maha Kumbh Mela was expected to be a highly lucrative event.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that if there are 400 million pilgrims and each of them spends on average 8 thousand rupees (9822 rubles), then their total expenses will amount to 3.2 trillion rupees (about 3.9 trillion rubles). For comparison: it is expected that Moscow budget revenues in 2025 will be at the level of 5.1 trillion rubles.

According to preliminary estimates, Indian and Indian foreign companies intend to spend about 30 billion rupees (36.8 billion rubles) on advertising during Maha Kumbh Mela. According to Sostav.ru, in 2023 the largest advertiser in Russia, Sberbank, spent 35.532 billion rubles on advertising.

2019: 240m people on Ardha Kumbha Mel in Prayagraj

In 2019, 240 million people visited Ardha Kumbha Mel in Prayagraj. On the most sacred day, 50 million pilgrims performed a ritual bath.

2013:120 million participants in Allahabad

2003:39 people die in crush in Nasik, more than 100 injured

In 2003, during the Kumbh Mela in Nasik, a stampede led to the death of at least 39 people. More than 100 were injured.

2001: Kumbha Mela in Allahabad and akhar bathing arrangement. The film of a participant from the USA

In 2001, Kumbh Mela was held in Allahabad. The administration of the mela and Akhara reached a historic agreement on the sequence and time of the Shahi Snan - the main bathing in the sangam.

A participant in the festival from the USA edited a 30-minute film with personnel of the chronicle of this chalk.

1998: Kumbh Mela in Haridwar with 10 million participants. Film of Russians

In 1998, Kumbha Mela was held in Haridwar.

Sometimes Akhara threatens to boycott Shahi Snan if she is not allowed to take part in a certain order, place or time. Historian Kama McLean refers to the impasse between Juna Akhara and the Mela administration on the 1998 Haridwar Kumbh Mela.

Participants from Russia edited an amateur film with personnel of the chronicle of this festival.

1989:15 million people performed ritual ablution

Historian Kama McLean's book "Pilgrim and Power: The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, 1765-1954" gives the following figures. On the main day of the festivities of 1954, ritual washing was performed by 5 million people, in 1977 - 10 million, in 1989 - about 15 million.

1980:4 million pilgrims to Kumbh Mela in Ujjain. Arrest of 700 sadhus

In 1957 and 1969 up to 2 million pilgrims attended the celebration of Kumbh Mela in Ujjain; in 1980, their number exceeded 4 million.

During the Kumbh mela in Ujjain (April 1980), a dispute broke out between the sadhus of various sects over how many "royal ablutions" (shahi snan) should be - one or three. Shahi snan is a day on which only priests and sadhus can perform ablution. Ordinary pilgrims on this day are forbidden to approach the river. They can only observe the ritual.

A special committee of representatives of the state authorities and sadhu decided to allocate one day for "royal ablution," which corresponds to tradition, as well as the goal of providing more opportunities for the ritual to be performed by ordinary pilgrims. Contrary to this decision, one of the sects tried to spontaneously arrange shahi snan on the wrong day. For more than seven hours, the dispute between the authorities and these sadhus lasted. In the ensuing clash, 700 sadhus were arrested. The mounted police hardly put things in order among the other 30 thousand, raging "holy" people.

1977: Kumbha Mela in Allahabad

Authorities recommend not drinking water and lay temporary water supply

In January-February 1977, the great Kumbh mela was celebrated in Allahabad. It began on January 5, when the sun was in the constellation Kozerog. On these solemn days, the Health Minister of Uttar Pradesh, where Allahabad is located, urged all pilgrims not to drink water from the Ganges as it is contaminated with industrial waste. To satisfy the pilgrims' thirst for clean well water, the state authorities organized the laying of 125 km of temporary water pipes, which led to the envy of the indigenous Allahabadians, deprived of such communal convenience. Modernity inexorably invades the traditional ritual of the holiday. Pilgrims, for example, were allowed to the chalk site only upon presentation of a certificate of vaccinations against cholera and other infectious diseases.

For the holiday of 1977, the Uttar Pradesh authorities also prepared very carefully. Within two months, 2 thousand workers, using tractors and bulldozers, leveled the right sandy coast of Yamuna, built a tent city, installed lanterns and floodlights to illuminate the territory and places of washing. In addition to the stationary bridge over the Ganges, army sappers built 14 pedestrian and one motor transport pontoon bridge. Additional trains and up to a thousand buses were allocated to deliver pilgrims to the trivia. 200 divers have been mobilized to rescue drowning people and prevent ritual suicides.

Overall, the cost of holding the Kumbh Mela was around Rs 70 million, which is more than the funds required to hold parliamentary and Legislative Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in a few months.

Two years later, the Madhya Pradesh government requested Rs 100 million from the central government to hold the Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, but it was advised to halve the allocation for this purpose due to the universal economy of funds.

It is curious that six months after the Kumbh Mela, an investigation was launched against some members of the Allahabad municipality, accused of embezzling part of the funds allocated for the improvement of the city.

16 million pilgrims, bad weather and carnival

By the beginning of the holiday, 1.5 million people arrived to trivia. The most solemn and sacred was the day of January 19, when, according to Jagatguru Badrinath, the planets were located in exactly the same way as on the day a vessel with amrite appeared from the ocean.

On January 19, 1977, the number of pilgrims reached 13.3 million, and then began to gradually decline.

The phenomenon of kumbh mela (and other mass religious holidays in India) attracts the attention of researchers if only because of these imagination-striking figures. The spectacle of kumbh mela, writes an eyewitness, "breathtaking, mind-shaking, overwhelming feelings. There are no words in the dictionary to express it. This is all India in miniature! "

No one exactly calculated the total number of pilgrims who visited the chalk in all 40 days. According to authorities, there were 15-17 million of them.

More or less accurately known is the number of kalpavasi - devotees of the faith - half a million people. They spent all 40 days on chalk, performing daily ablutions, participating in mass prayers and religious discussions, performing all prescribed rituals from shaving the head to strict fasting.

On the days of the largest influx of pilgrims, the air temperature dropped to plus 4 degrees, and a strong wind blew. Contrary to the local weather bureau's summary, Allahabad was hit by a downpour on January 19. Yet every hour, one and a half million believers, replacing each other, bathed in the icy waters of the Ganges and dried out in the cold wind. Pilgrims were forced to endure other hardships and inconveniences crowding and cramped, lack of basic amenities, fasting, travel hardships and related costs, very significant for most participants in the holiday. In addition, they had to make offerings to numerous priests, pandas and various "holy" people.

Like every holiday, the kumbh mela contains an element of entertainment: acquaintance with new places and new people, participation in rituals, presence at noisy and colorful ceremonies. The organizers of the holiday took measures to create an appropriate atmosphere. To satisfy various tastes, singers and musicians, along with religious hymns, performed lyrical songs and hits from films. Most sects and orders employed orchestras; their repertoire included not only spiritual music, but also popular melodies, even Western military marches, including the famous Scottish march "Good Old Time," to which soldiers of the colonial army so often marched in the old days.

Groups of tents of each sect were decorated with colored flags and flashlights.

A special postage stamp was issued and special mailing was organized.

"The solemn atmosphere is intertwined with the atmosphere of the carnival," the eyewitness noted.

All India Radio regularly conducted a live report from the holiday, and television dedicated a three-hour program to it every day, bringing the mela atmosphere to the farthest corners of the country.

The participation of the authorities in the holiday also attracted the attention. On the eve of the mela, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on behalf of the state government gave a greeting to all pilgrims bound for Allahabad. Officials led by the state governor performed the bathing and other ritual acts in front of hundreds of thousands of worshippers. The case does not change the fact that after bathing in the sacred waters of trivia, the governor was present as a guest of honor at the very worldly and somewhat frivolous beauty contest "Miss Femina," which was held in the state capital Lucknow by the magazine "Femina" and advertising agencies.

The chance to see high-profile individuals on chalk serves as an additional attractive factor for visitors.

A religious holiday creates conditions for a temporary exit from the usual system of life, for oblivion, at least for a short time, of everyday hardships and worries. It serves as an outlet and a place of wider communication, usually strictly regulated in caste society. There is a community with a wide world, where, as it were, the circle of prohibitions consecrated by the same religion is torn apart. Kumbh mela becomes a memorable event for its participants, the theme of stories with family and neighbors, a reason for pride among fellow believers, wrote B.I. Klyuev.

Thus, a holiday like kumbh mela fills some of the needs of a person that are unattainable in the usual environment. At the festival, religion acts in its replenishing function, moreover, one of the contradictions of religion is manifested here: its replenishing function is more effective and complete, the more secular content is introduced into the religious holiday.

The noticeable increase in the number of participants in religious holidays and pilgrimages in India at this time is often also due to the increased geographical mobility of the country's population, improved means of communication, and an increase in the income of certain social groups, which allows allocating funds for travel. Yet Kumbh Mela is primarily a religious holiday, affecting primarily the religious feelings of the participants, strengthening these feelings. And it attracts participants mainly "the call of faith," recognized as a religious duty.

Sadhu, panda priests, abbots of monasteries

In addition to places of ritual ablutions, the functional centers of the holiday are priests of various sects known in the Hindu community, dressed in saffron-colored clothes or naked, covered with ash of burnt cow manure sadhu and, of course, local panda priests, indigenous people of Prayaga. For them, participation in Kumbh Mela is a professional duty, more precisely, work that allows you to increase the number of followers and admirers.

The Kumbh Mela of 1977 was attended by 80 thousand sadhus, abbots of Hindu ashram monasteries and temples, heads and members of sects and orders. For 40 days, gathering hundreds and thousands of believers around them, they read religious texts, explained their meaning, preached, sang religious hymns - bhajans and kirtans. It was an unparalleled campaign of direct influence on believers, reproduction of religious sentiments through personal contacts in an emotionally saturated atmosphere.

If priests and sadhus flock to trivia from all over India, then approximately 500 families of panda priests are the traditional institution of hereditary ministers of the cult, indispensable participants of each chalk in Allahabad. They have regular clients, and since time immemorial, a chronicle of their visit to trivia has been kept. These chronicles can be used to establish the pedigree of many customers. During mela, pandas sit on a plank platform, to which a flag with the symbol of a given panda is attached on a pole, usually traditional. There were, however, quite modern symbols - a steam locomotive, a transistor radio receiver, a rocket.

In addition to meeting religious needs, pandas arrange housing for their clients and supply them with food for a fee.

"Now religious worship for them is nothing more than a way to make money. What was once the ministry of religion became business.... Some pandas, it is claimed, have made so much money that they will have enough until the next kumbh mela. "

Since their welfare depends on the number of customers, there is fierce competition between pandas, often leading to clashes.

At the request of the priests, the Allahabad Supreme Court, by a special decision, established the sequence of their ablutions. Before the 1977 holiday, the state authorities held consultations with the heads of sects, during which the previously established sequence was confirmed in order to prevent the repetition of events in 1954.

Nevertheless, more than 9 thousand police officers were trained to maintain order and perform the functions of guide-translators among diverse crowds of pilgrims.

Chapters Of Four Temples Founded By Shankara Arrive At Kumbh Mela Simultaneously For First Time In 200 Years

Kumbh mela 1977 in Allahabad, was a significant event for another reason. For the first time in the last two centuries, the heads of the four temples founded by the religious philosopher and reformer of the ІKh century Shankara of the strongholds of Hinduism - Jagatguru Badrinath, Dvarka, Puri and Shringeri - arrived on Kumbh Mela at the same time. Although Shankara bequeathed them to meet every 12 years to discuss matters of faith, disputes, rivalries and claims to primacy overpowered the teacher's will. Only a manifestation of mass religiosity, an unprecedented influx of pilgrims created conditions in which the highest priests of Hinduism could no longer stay away from the holiday, could not avoid meeting.

But the event has not become a focal point. During its course, politics imperiously invaded. On the most solemn day of Kumbh Mela on January 19, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the President of India announced the dissolution of the People's Chamber of Parliament and the holding of early elections. This unexpected announcement gave the impression of a bombshell. It overshadowed all events, although reports of Kumbh mel continued to be published on the front pages of newspapers.

Indira Gandhi's visit and speech

Interest in the holiday flared with renewed vigor when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi arrived in Allahabad three days after the dissolution of the People's Chamber. In her honor, a special session of the Bharat Sadhu Samaj (All India Sadhu Society), an influential religious organization whose number of members exceeds 3 million, was convened at Kumbh Mela. Speaking at this session, the Prime Minister stressed that the principle of secularism championed by the Indian National Congress has nothing to do with irreligiosity and atheism. This principle is expressed in the ancient formula "sarva dharma sama bhava" ("equal respect for all religions"). At the same time, the Prime Minister called on the sadha to fight ignorance, bigotry and superstition. For their part, the Sadhu assured the Prime Minister of support for the programme put forward by her government and served the traditional rite of blessing. This event was regarded by political observers as the beginning of the election campaign.

Participation of Prabhupada and his Hare Krishna movement

For details of the 1977 stay of Srila Prabhupada and his American students at Kumbh Mel, see Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

1974: More than 3m pilgrims during Kumbh mela in Hardwar

During the 1974 Kumbh Mela, Hardwar received more than 3 million pilgrims.

1971: Prabhupada with Western disciples preaches on Arda Kumbh Mel in Allahabad

In 1971, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada with Western students preached the ideas of the Krishna Consciousness Society on Arda Kumbh Mel in Allahabad.

1964: "Sangam," a feature film starring Raj Kapoor, is released in India

The film "Sangam" (1964), starring Raj Kapoor, was shown at the Soviet box office in 1968.

1954: More than 800 pilgrims in Allahabad die in stampede during Kumbh mela

On the main day of Kumbh Mela Mauni Amavasya in Allahabad on February 3, 1954, pilgrims sat on the banks of the Ganges River to watch the procession while others arrived. The stampede grew and as people had nowhere else to go, they tried to join the procession of Naga Sadhu, who reportedly directed their trishuls (tridents) towards the crowd. Between 800 and 1,000 people died and drowned and about 2,000 were injured.

This information was recorded by Kama McLean, assistant professor of South Asian history at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, in her book entitled "Pilgrimage and Power: Kumbha Mela in Allahabad from 1776 to 1954."

As it was the first Kumbh Mela after Indian independence, several politicians visited the holiday in 1954, including then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former president Rajendra Prasad.

Nehru spoke to the media after the incident and claimed he watched the crowd from the balcony of the fort at about 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. The incident reportedly took place at 9:00 a.m. However, due to the crowd, Nehru could not understand that something was wrong when the tragedy occurred.

The Nehru-led government has been criticised for its lack of security at the festival and for shifting police attention to important individuals instead.

After the stampede, Nehru also suggested that dignitaries and politicians refrain from visiting the chalk.

The horror of this stampede was captured on camera by a photographer from Amrit Bazar Patrika - NN Mukherjee. At the age of 41, Mukherjee was in Sangam to take photographs of the event. In his memoir published in the Hindi magazine "Chayakriti" in 1989, Mukherjee described the stampede, the horrors he saw:

"Two days before Mauni Amawasya's bathing day, cholera vaccination was stopped. As a result, large numbers of people began to arrive in Sangam district in the morning of that day.

The then Prime Minister (Jawaharlal Nehru) and President Rajendra Prasad were due to come for a bath in Sangam on the same day. Therefore, all police and administrative officers were busy preparing for their arrival.

I stood on a tower near the fence in Sangam Chouki. At around 10.20am, Nehru and Rajendra Babu's car drove in from Triveni Road, drove past the fence and headed towards Kila Ghat. A large number of onlookers, who were stopped on both sides of the fence, began to break through the fences down to the ghat. A sadhu procession was moving on the other side of the fence. The procession went inkling and inkling because of the influx of giant crowds. As the crowd stormed the slope, it felt like waves raised by standing crops as the storm hits just before they collapse. Those who fell could not rise again. Cries of "save me, save me" rang out in every direction as people ran in disarray, trampling others with their feet.

Many fell into a huge well nearby and no one could get out. I saw with my own eyes how someone crushed a three or four-year-old child. Someone tried to escape by swinging on the wires of an electric pole. To take a picture of him, I had to go over fallen people.

It is also surprising that while more than a thousand people were trampled to death, administrative officials were unaware of this as they enjoyed tea and snacks at Government House (now the College of Medicine) until four o'clock in the afternoon.

My colleagues at Amrit Bazar Patrika feared that I too was the victim of a stampede. But when I got to the office around 1pm, the newspaper's owner, Tarun Kanti Ghosh, gleefully picked me up and shouted: "Nipu is back alive." I said I also brought the photos.

Government officials rejected reports of more than a thousand dead in the stampede. They issued a press release saying only a few beggars had been crushed to death. We presented officials with photographs showing women in expensive jewelry among the dead, indicating that they were from wealthy families.

On the second day of the accident, the administration poured piles of bodies and set them on fire. No photographer was allowed to be near the scene. To take photos, I dressed as a villager, took a small camera in an umbrella and pretended to come see my grandmother's body for the last time. I fell to the constable's feet... one official allowed me on the condition that I return quickly after seeing my "grandmother."

I ran to the bodies and fell on the body of a crying old woman. Then I quickly photographed a burning pile of bodies. When the photo was released the next day, the then Chief Minister Govind Ballabh Pant cursed: "Where is this photographer-h * * * * * * a?" For me, it was^[9] in^[10]1954.

Opposition between pilgrims and British colonisers over Sangam space in Allahabad

British colonial administration of religious holidays, or melas, was conjugate with duality. Melas were large, potentially dangerous congregations of devout Hindus, holy people, and Brahmin clergymen, which the British felt needed to be carefully monitored. Nevertheless, they believed that the local population would not tolerate their intervention, especially in matters related to religion. If this restriction were broken, British dominance would be in jeopardy. State intervention in the conduct of chalk in the 19th century is a history of experimental interaction, fluctuating benevolence ^[11]

At Allahabad (modern Prayagraj), one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Hindu geography, the Triveni (or Sangam - the confluence of three rivers, namely the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati) occupied the same place as the most strategically important node of British military power in North India in the 19th century - Allahabad Fort.

Sangam (Ganges and Yamuna Mergers) and British Fort Location Map 1906, Kama McLean, 2003

These two claims to the same space serve as an excellent example of the confrontation between the ancient religious claims of Hindus and the need to ensure the safety of the colonizer on hostile and alien lands. They were forced to coexist, but for the British it was not easy coexistence of conflicting interests.

Following the example of Mughal rulers, the British were often forced to sacrifice the safety and integrity of Fort Allahabad to receive crowds of pilgrims and holy men, not only outside but also inside its walls. It was more problematic than it might seem at first glance. While the pilgrim was perceived as a typical villager in India, superstitious but easily influenced, British administrators suspected that "the mechanism of intrigue and subversion in India was a holy man" and that their gatherings during the pilgrimage provided opportunities for incitement that could undermine their power.

Other important participants in the mela were Brahmins or Pandits, known as Pragwals, who held services for pilgrims in trivia and whom the British disrespected.

In determining where administrative restrictions should be imposed, British officials did not cooperate with obvious religious elites such as the Sadhu (holy people) and the Pragwals, but listened to the opinions and approvals of ordinary pilgrims. In this scenario, the pilgrim, a simple, most likely prosperous villager who went to the chalk as a sign of faith, had more power than those whom he revered - the sadhus and Brahmins. This "pilgrim as a subject" and, much later, in the 20th century, "pilgrim as a citizen" is a distinctive feature of chalk management, showing who the British considered their target audience.

Since the mid-nineteenth century, the Allahabad festival has expanded in size and scale. Ironically, the British colonial state's attempt to regulate the seemingly chaotic and potentially dangerous practice of such pilgrimage contributed to its success. Maclean writes: "The intervention of the colonial government in the chalks, though often controversial, generally made them safer, which therefore encouraged attendance at pilgrimages."

1844: Kumbh Mela in Haridwar

By J. M. W. Turner, 1850s engraving by Thomas Higham

1796: Sadhu sects fight for Kumbha - right to control revenue from Haridwar fair

Before the arrival of the British East India Company, Kumbh - a quasi-religious combination of trade and fighting - was under the control of the Akhar, or Sect Sadhu, and Kumbh Mela was a meeting place for the Sadhu. The character of Kumbha reflected the role of sadhus at the time: as is well known, sadhus were shrewd traders and skilled warriors. Thomas Hardwick, who came to the Haridwar Fair in 1796 to buy cattle, witnessed a battle between the Akhars fighting for the right to be the first to bathe in the river and control Kumbha. James Lochtefeld suggested that much was at stake as the Akhars "not only led the police, resolved disputes and administered justice, but also collected lucrative taxes on pilgrims, animals and goods" brought into the fair.

From the story of Hardwick, Lochtefeld concluded that "the right of the Sanyasins to manage this fair stemmed solely from their ability to gain power over it."

It seems that the Allahabad fair was held on the same principle as in Haridwar, and the same akhars claimed primacy.

British writers added their descriptive accounts of Mel in Allahabad. Reading their descriptions, researcher Prayaga D. P. Dubey concludes: "The traditional mela scene has remained almost unchanged: demonstrations of ascetics of yogic representations, recitation of religious texts, discussions about socio-religious problems and sectarian propaganda continue to be the main attractions of the fair."

1582: Akbar renames Prayag to Ilahabad and orders fort to be built

During the time of Mughal emperor Akbar, Prayag was renamed Ilahabad, which later became Allahabad. The emperor visited the city in 1582 and ordered the construction of a fort at this strategic location where the two waterways converged. The fort remains to this day, rising as a guardian at one end of the Kumbh Mela territory.

Historians of Islamic rulers have mentioned chalk at the site over the years.

643: Mention of large chalk in Prayagraj district by Chinese Buddhist

Those who studied the history of the great mela in Prayagraj consider it more or less continuous from the Guptas period from the fourth to the sixth century.

Perhaps the first historical description of the large chalk in this region dates back to 643 C.E. and was written by the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuan Tsang, who went to India to find Buddhist sacred texts. Xuan Tsang wrote of a gathering of pilgrims on a "century-old holiday" in the month of Magh (January-February). He explained how King Harsha showed his generosity by distributing things to people of all classes until he himself was left with nothing and returned to his capital, wearing only one piece of cloth.

500: Narasimha Purana Mentions Magh Mela

Narasimha Purana, dating from the fifth or sixth centuries, attests to the fact that monthly chalk was known during the Gupta period. Sages from different orders are said to gather from different parts of India during the month of Magh. One aspect of today's Kumbh Mela festival that does seem ancient is the gathering in the winter month of Magh. This Magh Mela may well have been held annually, as it is today.

500 BC: Melas in Prayag are already being held

According to British Indologist James Mullinson, similar festivities have been held in Prayag since at least the middle of the first millennium BC.

Site of Kumbh Mela

• Kumbhmela.com

Literature

• Klyuev B.I. Kumbha Mela - Hindu holiday//Religion and social life in India. M., 1983
• Lokanatha Swami. Kumbha Mela. M., Philosophical Book, 2003

Notes