The Samudra Manthan is a well-known incident in our folklore. The Devas and Asuras churned the ocean in the quest for Amritha, the nectar of immortality. When Dhanvantri finally arrived with the Amritha, there was a mad tussle for it. What happened next is a story most of us know. There is a variant of this story that says that during the tussle, drops of Amrit spilled in four locations on Earth – Prayagraj, Ujjain, Haridwar, and Nashik.

The story goes that it took 12 years to go to each of these locations to find the drops of Amrit in the holy rivers. These four places subsequently became the four locations for the Kumbh Mela, which was conducted once in 12 years. The word ‘Kumbh’ means ‘pot’ and the story of the pot of amritha explains the origin of the Kumbh Mela. However, there is no reference to this story in any of the main Puranas. There are some references to Kumbh and to Prayag though, but not specifically to a religious gathering.

It is believed that the legendary Adi Sankara was the one responsible for starting the Kumbh Mela. Sankara was the one who revived the Sanatana faith during the onslaught of new religions and beliefs. During the 8th century, Adi Sankara made the Kumbh Mela a formal affair. In the past, people would visit these holy places to bathe in the holy water and purify themselves.

Sankara made it a formal congregation where sadhus and sants would get together. His intention was, no doubt, to ensure unity in the Sanatani faith. It is laughable to see some people claim that Akbar started the Kumbh Mela. This can be debunked by quoting from Hiuen Tsang, who makes a reference to a ritual in 644 CE, where the king distributed gold and people bathed in Prayag.

There are also references to a Magh Mela that was conducted regularly, which got converted into the Kumbh Mela. Whatever may be the historical background, the fact remains that the Kumbh Mela is one of the most significant spiritual and religious events, which takes place in India periodically.

Maha Kumbh 2025

It is time to know more about the Kumbh Mela. There are 3 different Kumbh Melas held in our country.

1) Kumbh Mela or the Purna Kumbh Mela, which is held once in 12 years.

2) Ardha Kumbh Mela, which is held once in 6 years between two Kumbh Melas.

3) Maha Kumbh Mela, which is held after every 12 cycles of Kumbh Melas – once in 144 years.

2025 is special, because we are having the Maha Kumbh Mela, being held after 144 years. The Maha Kumbh is being held in Prayagraj, which is the confluence of the three holy rivers of Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati.

Over the years, many Kumbh Melas have been held with millions of people visiting the four holy sites of Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik, where they bath and purify themselves. It is not only sadhus who attend the mela, but also common people from across the world.

Sadly, over the years, the Kumbh Mela has seen many stampedes, deaths, children going missing, and other such tragic incidents. It naturally gives rise to a question of how such a large Mela will be organized this time without any incidents. The Mahakumbh started on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti and has been a perfectly managed event.

The reason for the success of this event goes to a large team of ministers, officials, and volunteers who have been working for years to organize this mega event. They have all been working day and night under the leadership of UP’s dynamic Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath. Here are some amazing facts about the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025:

• The event will be held for 45 days and it is expected that around 45 crore or 450 million people will participate from across the globe.

• Around 20 lakh kalpavasis will be attending, who will be present throughout the Maha Kumbh.

• The area of the Maha Kumbh is 4000 hectares divided into 25 sectors. 1,850 hectares are reserved for parking of vehicles.

• The ghats where people can bath spans over 12 kms.

• The budget for the Maha Kumbh is estimated to be 7,500 crore rupees. It is expected that economic transactions worth 2.4 lakh crores would take place (equal to 0.8% of our GDP).

• There are 1.5 lakh toilets, 45,000 police in 55 stations, and 3000 cameras (many of them AI-enabled) to ensure security.

• Starting on January 13th the Maha Kumbh will go on until February 26th.

Significance of the Mahakumbha 2025

The Maha Kumbha has a very special significance. One is, of course, that it is a special event being held once in 144 years. It is an event that no one would have seen in their life span or will see. It explains why people are flocking to Prayagraj to participate in the event. The other significance is that it is a spiritual event that is bringing together Sanatanis.

In these troubled times, where Sanatanis are facing relentless attacks across the world, it is heartwarming to know how people are showing interest in being part of a religious event. Over the past few years, many people, especially youngsters are showing great interest in knowing their Sanatani roots and getting blessed at such events.

The Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration was a key event that accelerated the eager participation in religious events. The images and videos we are seeing from the Maha Kumbh are heartening. They tell us that internal and external enemies will never succeed in destroying our faith, try however much.

We have seen videos of foreigners chanting the Kalabhairava Ashtakam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqYvEtE6C9g 

The passion in their voices shows their keen devotion and their spiritual inclination.

There are many such videos, including of a Brazilian who came in search of Moksha.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5rX79lMe2HE?feature=share 

The scenes for the Kumbh Mela are simply breathtaking, and you will want to go to this amazing gathering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry6vp7Mvohw 

Some social media influencers, known for their ‘not so spiritual’ videos, are participating in the Kumbh Mela. Whether it is for publicity or a real awakening of their spirituality identity, it is not for us to judge – it is between them and their faith. We can only smile in joy at the massive reawakening of the Sanatani faith in India.

Let’s all pray that the Maha Kumbh Mela is a major success. Let’s all hope that the event creates greater interest in our faith, our culture, and our religion. It is vital that the interest is generated among young people, who are the future. They are the ones who will carry the eternal torch of Sanatani faith into the future.

!! लोका: समस्ता: सुखिनो भवन्तु !!

Deepak M R is a professional writer and author, who has previously worked in academics, training, and consulting. He is the author of the novel ‘Abhimanyu – the warrior prince’ (Bloomsbury, 2021). He is also a contributing author in the anthology Unsung Valour (Bloomsbury, 2020) and a KDP e-book ‘Mahabharata Tales: Justice for Draupadi and other stories’. He is an avid fan of Hindi film music.