Maha Kumbh is going to be organized soon in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh and this time Maha Kumbh is going to be special in itself, because it is a big Maha Kumbh. Which is being organized after 144 years. To make this entire event a success and keeping in mind the administrative convenience, the place where Maha Kumbh is going to be organized has been decided by the Government of Uttar Pradesh. It has been declared a district on a temporary basis.
New 76th district of Uttar Pradesh
Keeping in mind the Mahakumbh of 2025, the Government of Uttar Pradesh has made Mahakumbh area a new district in the state, this new district will be known as Mahakumbh Mela District and it is going to be the 76th district of Uttar Pradesh. Right now you have a total of 75 districts. This new district has been formed by merging 67 villages of 4 tehsils of Prayagraj district, so till the time this entire Mahakumbh program is organized in Prayagraj, this district will remain in existence and as soon as the Mahakumbh is organized. When it ends, this district will also end and these 4 tehsils will be included in Prayagraj district. If seen, you can say that this entire district has been created on a temporary basis keeping in mind the administrative convenience.
Maha Kumbh Mela
Questions often arise in the mind regarding Mahakumbh. Many words related to Kumbh are mentioned, like Maha Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh and many more, so what is the meaning of these words. Also a question may arise that what is the cycle of 12 years. When it comes to 144 years, what does it mean, then we will understand all these questions here. One question may also be that why Mahakumbh is organized only in Prayagraj. We will also know the reason behind this.
About Mahakumbh
Talking about Maha Kumbh Mela, it is considered to be one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. It is a major event of Hindu religion which is attended by lakhs of pilgrims for spiritual purification and rituals. Kumbh Mela is mainly organized at four places in India. You get to see the Kumbh Mela at these four places: Prayagraj, Nashik, Haridwar and Ujjain. In this, the Kumbh Mela organized in Prayagraj, which was earlier known as Allahabad, is considered to have special significance in itself. We will also talk about its story but if you talk about the story of Kumbh, where it starts, then according to mythology, Kumbh Mela is related to the churning of the ocean. The gods and demons together churned the ocean to obtain nectar. When the Samudra Manthan was done, many incidents happened in between but when the Samudra Manthan ended, a pot of nectar was found there. A few drops of nectar from the Kalash fall at four places on the earth. It is said in mythology that the four places where drops of nectar fall become holy places. Those four places are Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain. These are the four places where, according to the stories, drops of nectar had fallen. Kumbh Mela is organized at these four places. For this reason, Kumbh Mela is organized at these divine places.
We talked here about organizing the Kumbh Mela at these four places, but now the question arises that if there are these four places then why is Prayagraj important among them. Why is Prayagraj given so much special importance? Prayagraj is given so much importance because Prayagraj is called the king of pilgrimage places. It is also considered to be the most special among the pilgrimage sites and it is said that Brahma performed his first yagya here. For this reason Prayagraj becomes important in itself. Apart from this, you will also see in the mythology that there is a confluence of three rivers in Prayagraj. One of these is Saraswati who is found in old stories but has become invisible in the present times.
Kumbh Mela takes place at 4 different places
The Kumbh Mela which is organized in Haridwar takes place on the banks of river Ganga. The Kumbh Mela which is organized in Ujjain takes place on the banks of Shipra River. The Kumbh that is organized in Nashik takes place on the banks of the Godavari River and the Godavari River is also called the Ganga of the South. The Kumbh which is organized in Prayagraj, takes place at the confluence of three rivers. These three rivers are Ganga, Yaguna and the mythological river Saraswati.
Kumbh Mela is celebrated 4 times in 12 years. Ardh Kumbh Mela is organized every sixth year in Haridwar and Prayagraj. Mahakumbh Mela is organized every 12 years in Prayagraj. Apart from this, Magh Kumbh is also organized in Prayagraj every year in the month of Magh between January to March. There is a big Mahakumbh which is being organized in 2025. What is the meaning of Vridha Mahakumbh? Actually, the meaning of Vridha Mahakumbh is that when the Mahakumbh Mela which is held every 12 years in Prayagraj is organized 12 times, that is, when this 12th Mahakumbh is organized after 144 years, then it is called Vridha Mahakumbh. This process repeats like this every 144 years.
Historical Development
If we talk about its historical development, then when you go to find its beginning, it is said in the stories that this Maha Kumbh was started by Adiguru Shankaracharya. If we talk about its ancient origins, the Kumbh Mela started during the Maurya and Gupta periods, i.e. between the fourth century to the sixth century BC, but at that time it was not organized on a large scale. Small-scale events were organized at different places. After this, King Harshvardhan of Pushyabhuti dynasty organized the Kumbh Mela on a large scale for the first time in Prayagraj.
If you see in the medieval period, royal dynasties like Chola and Vijayanagara Empire, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal supported the organization of Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. In order to promote his religious tolerance, Akbar had given Naga Sadhus the leadership of the royal entry into the fair in the year 1565. Since then, Naga Sadhus have been continuously participating in the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela.
If we talk about the colonial period, the whole process continued in the same manner during the British rule also. The British rulers were very surprised by this event. The British rulers also documented it. Apart from this, in the 19th century, James Prinsep described its ritualistic practices and socio-religious dynamics in his book.
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