Haridwar Ardh Kumbh Mela 2016 - Main Bathing (Snan) Dates:
Date (2016) Day Event 14^th January Thursday Makar Sankranti 12^th February Friday Vasant Panchami 22^nd February Monday Magh Purnima 7^th March Monday Mahashivratri 7^th April Thursday Chaitra Amavasya 8^th April Friday Chaitra Shukla Pratipada 14^th April Thursday Mesha Sankranti 15^th April Friday Ram Navami 22^nd April Friday Chaitra shukla Purnima

Rivers have always held a special place in Hindu mythology, as these are considered to be the carriers of life and fertility. Hence the rivers always remain a part of almost all major festivals in India. One of the festivals which are worth mentioning in this context is Kumbh Mela. This fair is perhaps the largest religious gathering in any religion around the world. A vast number of people gather at different places and perform different rituals on this day by the banks of different rivers. The name Kumbh Mela consists of two words, the literal meaning of the name of the festival is, "Kumbh" which means a pitcher or a pot, the word Kumbh also signifies a Hindu sun sign, Aquarius. The word Mela means a fair or a gathering.
This is a fair which is conducted at four different places of India on the banks of pious rivers. The places where the mela is conducted are Haridwar, on the banks of river Ganges; Ujjain by the river Shipra; Nasik by the river Godawari and at Allahabad by the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati. During the festival the banks of these rivers become a large bathing ground for the rich, the poor, the sadhus and the women alike. For each place the Kumbh Mela repeats every 12 years, but in actuality there are four different Kumbh Melas which take place at different sites. For e.g. if the Kumbh Mela is taking place in Prayag in the year 2011 then the next Kumbh Mela will take place at Ujjain.
The next Ardh kumbh Mela will take place in the holy city of Haridwar from January 2016 to April 2016.