1. Kumbh Mela can be found in the accounts of Chinese monk Xuanzang during and his India visit during 629–645 CE.
2. According to medieval Hindu theology, its origin is found in one of the most popular medieval puranas, the Bhagavata Purana.
3. By the approach, It comes from the Devas as they lost their strength by the curse of Durvasa Muni, and to regain the power. They approached Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva.
4. They directed all the demigods to Lord Vishnu. After praying to Lord Vishnu he instructed them to churn the ocean of milk Ksheera Sagara (primordial ocean of milk) to receive amrita (the nectar of immortality). This required them to make a temporary agreement with their arch enemies the Asuras, to work together with a promise of sharing the wealth equally thereafter.
5. However, when the Kumbha (urn) containing the amrita appeared, a fight ensued. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the Devas and Asuras fought in the sky for the pot of amrita.
6. It is believed that during the battle, Lord Vishnu (incarnated as Mohini-Mürti) flew away with the Kumbha of elixir spilling drops of amrita at four places: Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik.
7. This place is marked as faith of Hindu pilgrimage. Worshippers gather to bathe in this sacred River.
8. It is a largest peaceful gathering in the world where around 100 million people were expected to visit during the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013 in Allahabad.
9. Held at one of the places from Haridwar, Allahabad,Nashik, Ujjain.
10. Rivers at these four places are: the Ganges (Ganga) at Haridwar, the confluence (Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad, the Godawari at Nashik, and the Shipra at Ujjain.
11. Kumbha means a pitcher and Mela means fair in Sanskrit it comes from Hindi.
12. The festival is billed as the “world’s largest congregation of religious pilgrims”.
13. There is no precise method of ascertaining the number of pilgrims. The estimates of the number of pilgrims bathing on the most auspicious day may vary; approximately 80 million people attended on 14 February 2013.
14. Kumbh Mela listed in UNESCO Cultureal Heritage List in 2017
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- Kumbh Mela – World Biggest Human Gathering
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- The Elephanta Caves History
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