Declared by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World, the sacred Kumbh Mela is attended by the Hindus and even some other people of different religions and nationalities. It is a world-wide famous fair. People gather in Kumbh Mela and celebrate every moment in hope of attaining salvation. The devotees come to the festival to take a bath in the holy River Ganga to wash away their sins. During Haridwar Kumbh Mela, the Naga Sadhus also descend from the Himalayas and hail from various ‘akharas’. These are ascetics who have decided to live outside society by renouncing all material possessions. Naga Sadhus remain naked and, during their stay in the cities, they live in camps in specially assigned spaces in the suburbs extended for a few kilometers. The pilgrims start bathing at 3 am, but the order is fixed: the Naga Sadhus enter first. The main ceremonies of the Kumbh Mela are also held at Har Ki Pauri, the
the most famous ghat in Haridwar. If one watches the pilgrims from top of the bridge, it seems like a river of people moving, waving, having currents, just like the Ganges nearby. You will be impressed. The feeling is to be small, a drop in that river of people, but as soon as you get off the bridge and enter the current, the sounds, the smells, the colors, the prayers make you feel like spectators and actors of something bigger, something magnificent.
Kumbh means a pot that contained nectar. The story of Kumbh dates back to the time when gods used to reside on earth. Sage Durvasa gave a curse to the gods and their powers were weakened because of which the demons used to cause havoc on the world. Lord Brahma, the creator of the world, advised the gods to churn the sea to get the nectar, a drink ensuring immortality, and not to share it with the demons. Demons started chasing the gods for the nectar and a war took between them. Lord Vishnu instructed Garuda to fly away taking the elixir keeping it beyond the reach of the Asuras or the demons. And because of this, in the process, some nectar fell at the four places which were Haridwar, Prayagraj,
Ujjain, and Nasik by Garuda. The Kumbh Melas are held at these four places. It is believed that during those dates the water of the respective rivers are said to have special beneficial virtues. According to the tradition, people take bath in these rivers to wash away their sins and take a step ahead to attain salvation. They also believe that the one who takes a dip in these rivers during the Kumbh Mela, find a place in heaven post leaving the earthly body. The Kumbh Mela finds mentions in ancient-most Hindu scriptures thus taking its antiquity to thousands of years back in the past. It is one of the most religious, spiritual and looked forward Hindu fair-festival but back in history. A fair happens to be a commercial event as well. It is also believed that Timur, a Muslim invader attacked Haridwar and massacred a number of pilgrims possibly.
Highly participated Hindu fair, Kumbh Mela, is held once in every three years. The Kumbh Mela in Haridwar is held in every 12 years. However, the Maha Kumbh Mela is held in every 144 years. It is generally held in the months of February to April according to the English calendar. There are no exact dates but the dates are decided as per the Hindu astrology. The Mela is held when the Jupiter is in Aquarius and the sun enters the Aries. There is also an Ardh Kumbh Mela that is held six years after the Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh Mela in Haridwar is the original Kumbh Mela because it is held according to the astrological sign of Kumbh or Aquarius. The Kumbh Mela in Haridwar traces its origin in the ancient legend of Samudra Manthan (Churning of Ocean).
The last Kumbh Mela in Haridwar was held in 2010 and the next one will be held in 2021 or 2022. The Ardh Kumbh Mela happened in 2016, the last time. Kumbh Mela in Haridwar has faced a lot of issues in the past like the massacre of Vaishnavites in 1760, massacre of the Shaivites in 1796, and the cholera epidemic in 1783. But, slowly and steadily the conditions started improving and the management also became better with time. In 1867, the work on improving sanitation and traffic management was done. In 1891, the dispersion of the cholera breakout was contained. With the time, things and management got better for the public in Kumbh in Haridwar.