HOLY KUMBH MELA HARIDWAR 2010

According to astrologers, the 'Kumbh Fair' takes place when the planet Jupiter enters Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries. Kumbha (Kumbha means pot) Mela (means fair) is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage. It takes place at the following four locations of India:

Prayag,Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) , Haridwar(Uttarakhand) , Ujjain(Madhya Pradesh) , Nasik (Maharashtra

The main & common reason for one to attend the holy festival of Kumbh Mela is to take dip in Holy river. It is said that a holy dip in sacred rivers during Maha Kumbh or Ardh Kumbh takes human out of the circle of life & death ( stage known as Moksha ). Pilgrims & Sadhus in great number from around the world visit here to liberate themselves. Holy rivers like Ganges , Yamuna & celestial Sarawati at Parayag ( Sangam at Allahbad ) is age old symbol of Indian Culture & Civilization. These river offers purity, wealth, fertility and wash away the sins of those who bath in it.


TIMING OF KUMBH MELA
The Kumbh Mela ("festival of the pot of nectar of immortality") is held every three years in each of four different locations, returning to each of four places every twelve years. An Ardh (half) Mela (festival) takes place six years after the Purna (full) Kumbh in each location.
Kumbh Mela is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage and bathing festival that takes place at the following 4 locations of India:
-Prayag (near the city of Allahabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of three rivers Ganga (Ganges), Yamuna and mythical Saraswati.-Haridwar (in the state of Uttaranchal Pradesh) where the river Ganga enters the plains from Himalayas.-Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh), on the banks of Ksipra river.-Nasik (in Maharashtra) on the banks of Godavari river.
Dates for the Kumbh Festival(every 12 years in 4 locations)
-In 2010, March-April, Kumbh Mela will be held at Haridwar in the foothills of the Himalayas. The main bathing date for Kumbh Mela, Haridwar, is April 14, 2010.-In 2013, Maha Kumbh Mela will be held in Allahabad (Prayag), Jan. 27 to Feb. 25. Main bathing date: Feb. 10.-In 2015, Kumbh Mela will be held Aug. 15 to Sept. 13. Main bathing date: Sept. 13.-In 2016, Kumbh Mela will be held April 22 to May 21. Main bathing date: May 21.

Mythological legends say that at the beginning of creation, all the Gods were under a curse that made them weak and cowardly. Brahma, the creator God, advised them to retrieve the Kumbh (pot) containing the nectar of immortality (amrit). The gods sought help from the demons, and together they churned the primordial ocean to bring up the nectar.
As Dhanvantari, the divine healer, appeared with the "Kumbh" containing nectar in his palms, a great fight ensued between the Gods and demons to wrest the pitcher. During the fierce battle in the sky, a few drops of nectar fell in four different places: Allahabad (Prayag), Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain.
Since then, when the planets align in the same position, pilgrims and devotees converge to commemorate this divine event. Purna (Full) Kumbh Mela takes place every three years in rotation in the four sacred places. Therefore Kumbh Mela in each location takes place every twelfth year. The Ardh Kumbh Mela takes place in the sixth year between Kumbh Melas.
In the four holy places Purna Kumbh Mela takes place at an interval of twelve years coinciding with one round of Jupiter through the zodiac.