BRIEF ON KUMBH MELA

Hundreds of thousands of yogis, sadhus and pilgrims come to take a holy dip in the Ganges during this important Hindu spiritual gathering.

Legend has it that before the universe took shape, the gods and demons churned the waters--as a result of which--from the ocean arose Dhanvantari carrying in his hands a kumbha (pot) of nectar. As the gods and demons struggled for possession of this precious liquid, drops fell at 12 places in the world. Four of these, Allahabad, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain are in India and this fair (mela) is held in each of these places in a twelve year rotating cycle.

The largest and most famous one occurs in Allahabad once every 12 years. This is called the Maha Kumba. the first in the century was in 2001 and will return in 2013