The
Kumbh Mela is generally held every three years in rotation at Allahabad,
Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. Kumbh Mela is organized in the month of Magh
according to the traditional calendar, which when converted to Gregorian
turns to be Feb-March. The most important among these is the one
celebrated at Allahabad. Due to the rotation system, the Kumbha Mela
comes to Allahabad every 12 Years. The Kumbh Mela that runs for over a
month is not only the largest fair in the world but also the largest
conglomeration in the human world.The Kumbh Mela that is also at times called Maha-Kumbh is held every 12 years on the confluence of river Ganges, Yamuna and Mythical Saraswati are attended by devotes from all over the world. In fact, the last addition of this fair saw 15 million people taking dip at the confluence in a single day. This is still held in the record books. The total number of people who took dip in the confluence on the 4 days reserved for general devotees, stands around staggering 40 million!
There is a very interesting legend behind the Kumbh Mela. According to the Hindu mythology it started with the very creation. It is said that once Hindu deities asked for the help of Demons to churn the ocean. This was done to centrifuge the 'Amrit' or 'Nectar' that would have in turn made them immortal. Nevertheless when it came out, deities stole it and didn't share it with the demons. It was hidden at four places in the course of time and a drop of Nectar fell at all those places. These places now hold Kumbh Mela. The main Kumbh is the day of Mauni Amavasya. Other important bathing days are Makar Sankranti, Paush Purnima, Vasant Panchmi, Maghi Purnima and Maha Shivaratri. The Ardh Kumbh Mela at Allahabad is celebrated every 6th year in the month of Magh.
