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Let the amrit, the nector, of this churning enter our hearts and souls. Not as a myth, but as an everyday reality. Let it purify us, make us introspect, and give us the inner strength to become compassionate, intelligent and beautiful
Seven minutes read
By Chanchal Yadav
The auspicious Hindu festival has arrived, linked intrinsically and mythically, to a sacred river in which all rivers flow in the end. Yet again, in this chilly winter, after many years.
Sadhus from various sects and beliefs, and devotees, journalists, filmmakers, foreign tourists, are streaming it at the ghats of Prayagraj in UP to take a holy dip, or, to watch the grand spectacle and document it. It is going to be yet another kaleidoscope of pulsating colours and a sea of humans.
The Mahakumbh Mela 2025 will be held in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26, 2025. It is a grand religious gathering that occurs once every 144 years and is considered the largest Hindu festival by many. Currently, the population of Prayagraj is around 6.9 million, but during the Mahakumbh, it is expected to rise to many more millions.
The estimated population of Prayagraj in 2025 is approximately 6,898,757, with 3,628,512 men and 3,270,245 women. On January 29, 2025, the main royal bathing festival on Mauni Amavasya is expected to attract nearly 65 million pilgrims. To accommodate the visitors, special arrangements have been made, such as 7,000 buses, 1,000 trains, and 250 flights. Temporary shelters like dharamshalas have also been set up.
Do you know why millions of people visit the Kumbh Mela and why it holds such importance in Hinduism?
There is an interesting and ancient mythological story behind it. The Mahakumbh is linked to the sacred story of the Samudra Manthan (Ocean Churning), which is found in Hindu scriptures like the Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata. We have all read it, or heard about it, as part of our oral traditions, when we were very young, still in school. It’s a fascinating story.
According to the story, the gods (devas) and demons (asuras) joined forces for the churning of the ocean to obtain amrit (the nectar of immortality). Lord Vishnu helped both sides in this endeavor. When the amrit finally emerged, a struggle broke out between the gods and demons over who would consume it first.
Lord Vishnu, in the form of beautiful Mohini, ensured that the gods received the nectar. However, a few drops of the amrit spilled and fell at four locations: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. These places are now considered sacred, and the Mahakumbh is held every 12 years at these sites.
The story also mentions a demon named Rahu who disguised himself as a god to consume the nectar. When the Sun and Moon discovered this, they informed Lord Vishnu, who used his Sudarshan Chakra to cut Rahu in half. Since then, Rahu’s hatred for the Sun and Moon has grown, leading to ‘eclipses’ when Rahu attempts to swallow them. Another piece of fascinating mythology!
The drops of nectar that fell at these four locations made these sites holy. People believe that having a dip in the rivers at these spots during the Kumbh Mela washes away their sins and purifies the soul.
The Mahakumbh is a huge celebration where millions of people gather for spiritual cleansing and religious discipline. The festival is unique because of its significant elements like royal baths, colourful parades of sadhus, especially, totally naked, smeared with ashes, some of them wearing fancy goggles — the Naga sadhus. The
Naga sadhus, known for their stoic, austere lifestyle, and tantric, spiritual practices, are a prominent part of the event, and attract huge crowds, including foreign tourists.
During the Kumbh, certain days are marked as special for royal baths, where millions gather to bathe at the ‘sacred confluence’ of rivers. Another myth, which, perhaps, was once a geographical reality – though, there is a debate around it among ancient historians. This is the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, which is said to have existed earlier, but, now, has disappeared. This is part of the faith so as to cleanse sins and purify the soul.
The idea of a ‘sacred confluence’ of rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati at Prayagraj hold great importance, and bathing at this watery landmark is considered a way to attain salvation.
The Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world, drawing not just Indians, but also people from around the globe. Several foreigners are seen documenting the spectacle on their cameras, and happily joining the spiritual feast. It’s a unique experience indeed.
During Mahakumbh 2025, important bathing dates include January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), February 3 (Basant Panchami) – when we fly kites in Delhi, and after a freezing winter, the first, lovely, bloom of Spring arrives, February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Mahashivratri). The total duration of the festival is 45 days.
The arrangements for the Mahakumbh are managed by the Prayagraj Mela Administration and various government departments. Sanitation is handled by the sanitation department, crowd management by the police and security forces, water supply by Jal Nigam, transport by UP State Transport, and healthcare by the medical department. Disaster management teams like NDRF and SDRF are also deployed to ensure the safety and comfort of millions of pilgrims.
The Kumbh Mela is not just a festival but a spiritual journey that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime, either as a participant, or, as an active observer. For budding journalists like me, and young filmmakers still in school, it would be a great learning experience.
Surely, while exams are approaching they just can’t go there – and get lost in the huge crowds. And, yet, they can follow the spectacle on social media and television, track its interesting mythical history, and read features and reports about it. One day, surely, they will get a chance to be ‘on the spot’ – report and write about it, and make a ‘colour feature’ in print, or feature and documentary films.
Let the amrit, and the nector, of this manthan (churning) enter our hearts and souls too. Not as a myth, but as an everyday reality. Let it stay forever. Let us preserve it.
Let it purify us, make us introspect, and give us the inner strength to become humane, compassionate, intelligent and beautiful. May it make us flow like the pristine waters of a pristine river; finally, joining other rivers, flowing eternally into the vast ocean of life.
Let this nectar flow in our hearts — forever!
Picture three: Aayushi Rana