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