Kumbh Mela

• The Kumbh Mela is a pilgrimage
• The Kumbh Mela pilgrimage take place every three years
• There are four different sites for the Kumbh Mela which rotate each time
• The Prayaga is one the sites that the Kumbh Mela take place at and the festival there takes place every 12 years
• The festival that takes at the Prayaga is the largest
• Bathing at dawn , on the day of the new moon , is said to release people from the repeated cycle of life and death
• Samudra Manthan from the Mahabharata is the story of the churning of the oceans and tells of the mythological origin of the Kumbh Mela festival (Check the quotes subdeck for more info)
• It is believed that bathing in the River Ganges brings purification , especially at the time of the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage
• The name of the celestial bird involved in the story of the mythological origin of the Kumbh Mela festival is Garuda
• The most holy site where the Kumbh Mela takes place is Prayaga
• Prayaga is where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet , and the mythical river Saraswati is thought to join them
• The timing of the festival is carefully calculated by studying the stars
• Kumbh Mela is particularly linked to the constellation of Aquarius
• The Kumbh Mela festival takes place over 55 days and for much of the time there is a festive atmosphere
• During Kumbh Mela , there are many entertainers reciting Hindu epics , minstrels singing , people dancing , and many traders selling selling souvenirs and food snacks
• Kumbh Mela demonstrates Hindu passion and devotion - Alongside the celebrations, people recite prayers and see this time as one of special blessing
• Pilgrims often buy garlands of marigolds to cast into the water as an offering to Mother Ganges - They then pick up water from the river in their cupped hands and let it fall through their hands back into the river
• During the Kumbh Mela festival, there is a mass bathing in the river at dawn on the day of the new moon
• During the Kumbh Mela, the mass bathing is led by naked , ash-smeared sadhus who have been garlanded with orange flowers - They travel from all over India to take part in the pilgrimage
• A the 2013 festival, it is estimated that 100 million people bathed in the River Ganges