Maha Kumbh Mela: A Hindu Festival

By: Anya Prasanna

(Yoon, John, and Hari Kumar. “What to Know about the Maha Kumbh Mela, the World’s Largest Human Gathering.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/world/asia/india-hindu-festival-maha-kumbh-mela.html.)

The Maha Kumbh Mela is a Hindu festival that is also the biggest human gathering that occurred this year from January 13th to February 26th. This year it occurred in Prayagraj, in Uttar Pradesh, India. 

The Kumbh Mela is a large Hindu pilgrimage that occurs on the banks of rivers that are deemed sacred in India. The locations in which the Mela can occur are the following: The town of Nashik on the banks of the Godavari River, Ujjain which is on the banks of the Shipra River, Haridwar which is near the Ganga, and Prayagraj which is located where the Ganga and Yamuna rivers intersect with the mythical Saraswati River. In this pilgrimage, people dip in these rivers as it is said that it washes away your life’s sins along with the sins of the lives you reincarnated from. Thus, you will be able to achieve moksha, which is supposed to free you from the cycle of reincarnation.

The Kumbh Mela is practiced every three years. The location of each festival rotates between Nashik, Ujjain, Hardiwar, and Prayagraj, decided based on the planet's alignment. 

However the most sacred of the Kumbh Melas is the Maha Kumbh Mela which occurs every 12 years in the Prayagraj. The date of the Maha Kumbh Mela is decided mainly by the planet Jupiter, which takes 12 years to revolve around the Sun. Jupiter needs to perform certain alignments, especially with the Sun and moon, and go through particular zodiac signs in order to occur. According to Hinduism, placement of these planets makes an energy field, which makes it a good time for spiritual purification. However, this year's Maha Kumbh Mela is much more special as planets are going through a rare celestial alignment that occurs once every 144 years. 

Some parts of the Kumbh Mela are the Shahi Snan, where people cleanse their sins in the river to obtain spiritual freedom. Another part is the meditation sessions guided by famous practitioners. Cultural performances occur, these range from folk dances to theater that displays the stories from the great Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In addition, people can witness the ritual called the Ganga Aarti. This is where people offer prayers and light lamps to honor the Gods.

In conclusion, the Maha Kumbh Mela, this year is the biggest human gathering that occurred in India, in which people try to obtain spiritual experiences. They can wash away their sins, see the cultural performances, folk art, or immerse themselves in Indian culture. Some go to do yoga, and others to see holy men who are usually meditating in remote places in India.