Ancient Origin
As per the mythological origin of the Kumbh, the gods sought the help of the demons in churning of the ocean to gain the gift of immortality-the pot of amrit or nectar. They used a big mountain as a paddle and a giant serpent as the rope.
In the process, the ocean yielded the divine gifts including: the holy cow, the flying horse, the lyre and the siren, Lakshmi (goddess of fortune and wealth) and Vishwakarma (the divine architect and constructor). Last came, Dhanvantari, the divine physician, bearing the Kumbh (pot) of amrit.
As the gods did not want the demons to attain immortality, they grabbed the pot from the divine physician and tried to escape. A fierce fight ensued over the pot for 12 days (equivalent to 12 human years) during which some drops of nectar fell at four places on the earth- Prayag, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar. These places became important holy pilgrimage places.
According to the astrological predictions, the Kumbha Mela is held when the planet Jupiter enters the sign of Aquarius and the Sun enters into Aries. At Prayag, the Kumbh Mela takes place in the month of Magha (January-February) and the new moon day is considered to be the most auspicious.
The Holy Dip
Millions of pilgrims gather from various walks of life, sects and communities at the Kumbh in order to seek salvation. They have a belief that a dip in the sacred waters on the auspicious day would cleanse them of all the sins ensuring salvation.
The Inherent Feature
The most important part of the Kumbh are the naked sadhus with long matted hair and bodies smeared with ash. Besides the Naga sadhus and saints, there are Urdhwavahurs who practice severe physical austerities, the Parivajakas, who live under a vow of silence, the Shirshasins who stand all 24 hours and meditate for long hours, the Kalpvasis, who meditate and perform rituals at the banks of the holy Ganga.
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