Kumbh Mela is held at each of the four places namely Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayag), Nasik and Ujjain once in every 12 years. It is known to be a time when spiritual energy travels all around the place during this holy event. It’s a social harmony where you get to see many saints and sadhakas gathering at one place. This event even gives you the chance of seeking the blessings of these pious saints.
The position of the Sun, Moon and Jupiter in different zodiac signs determines the location of the Kumbh in each of these places.
*Kumbh in Haridwar* : When the Sun is in the zodiac sign Aries and Jupiter is in Aquarius it is held in Haridwar.
*Kumbh in Prayag* : When the Sun is in Capricorn and Jupiter is in Taurus, it is held in Allahabad (Prayag).
*Kumbh in Nasik* : When Jupiter enters the zodiac sign Leo it is held in Nasik. It is also held in Nasik, when Jupiter, Sun and Moon enter the zodiac sign Cancer on Amavasya.
*Kumbh in Ujjain* : Ujjain, one of the most sacred places in India, is located on the banks of the sacred river Kshipra in the western region of Madhya Pradesh. Kumbh in Ujjain is held when a rare configuration of planets takes place which happens once in 12 years. When the Sun is in the zodiac sign Aries and Jupiter in the zodiac Leo, it is held in Ujjain. Considering its relevance to the zodiac ‘Leo’ meaning ‘Simha’ in Sanskrit, the Kumbh is also referred to as ‘Simhasth Kumbh’.
It is the great bathing festival which sees lakhs of devotees coming together from across the world to celebrate this month long congregation. The ceremonial bathing takes place in the holy River Kshipra on the full moon day of Chaitra month and continues in different intervals during the entire month of Vaishakh, culminating on the tenth full moon day.
_According to myth, holy dip in Kshipra river is very important during this festival_
माधवे धवले पक्षे सिंह जीवत्वेजे खौ।
तुलाराशि निशनाथे स्वातिभे पूर्णिमा तिथौ।
व्यतिपाते तु सम्प्राप्ते चन्द्रवासर -संचुते।
कुशस्थली -महाक्षेत्रे स्नाने मोक्षमवाच्युयात्।
Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river. Traditionally, four fairs are widely recognized as the Kumbh Melas:
the Haridwar Kumbh Mela,
the Allahabad Kumbh Mela,
the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha and
the Ujjain Simhastha, although priests at other places have also claimed their local fairs to be Kumbh Melas. These four fairs are held periodically at one of the following places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayaga), Nashik district (Nashik and Trimbak) and Ujjain. The main festival site is located on the banks of a river: the Ganges (Ganga) at Haridwar; the confluence (Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the now extinct (disappeared/ dried/ lost in time) Sarasvati at Allahabad; the Godavari at Nashik; and the Shipra at Ujjain. Bathing in these rivers is thought to cleanse a person of all sins.
At any given place, the Kumbh Mela is held once in 12 years. There is a difference of around 3 years between the Kumbh Melas at Haridwar and Nashik; the fairs at Nashik and Ujjain are celebrated in the same year or one year apart. The exact date is determined according to a combination of zodiac positions of the Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon. At Nashik and Ujjain, the Mela may be held while a planet is in Leo (Simha in Hindu astrology); in this case, it is also known as Simhastha. At Haridwar and Allahabad, an Ardha ("Half") Kumbh Mela is held every sixth year; a Maha ("Great") Kumbh Mela occurs after 144 years.
