Importance of Kumbh Mela: The tradition of celebrating Kumbh has been going on since the ancient times of Sanatan Dharma. The Purna Kumbh Mela is organized every twelve years at four places, Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nashik, while the Ardh Kumbh festival is also celebrated at Haridwar and Prayag. But this Ardh Kumbh festival is not organized in Ujjain and Nashik.
Ardh Kumbh Melas started being held in Haridwar and Prayag
Regarding the origin of the Ardha Kumbh festival, some people believe that when Hinduism started coming under more attacks in the Mughal Empire, Shankaracharya gathered sages and great scholars from all directions at Haridrar and asked them to protect Hinduism. Prayag was called for discussion and since then Ardh Kumbh Melas started being held in Haridwar and Prayag.
In fact, the Ardha Kumbh festival established by the previous Acharyas has great significance, because the Ardha Kumbh festival is intended to be especially sacred and beneficial for people like the Purna Kumbh. Through public welfare festivals, along with the propagation of religion, the welfare of the country and society is also ensured.
Purna Kumbh is also mentioned in the scriptures.
Purna Kumbh and its arrangements are mentioned in the scriptures. In the Atharva Veda, it is said in a verse about Purna Kumbha that ‘O saints! Purna Kumbh takes place every four years, which we often see at four pilgrimage sites – Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nashik. Aquarius is the name given to that special period which occurs due to the conjunction of planets, zodiac signs etc. in the sky.
This is how the Kumbh festival is determined
Kumbh Mela is organized every 12th year in four places – Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nashik, but the order of Kumbh festival at these four places is decided in such a way that both Sun and Moon are in Capricorn while Jupiter is in Aries or It is in Taurus and Kumbh festival is held in Prayag.
Subsequently, the Kumbh Mela is held in Ujjain, although at an interval of several years, when Jupiter is in Leo and the Sun is in Aries. In the same 12th year, when the Sun is in Leo, Kumbh is organized in Nashik. Then after a gap of about six to twelve years, when Jupiter is in Aquarius and the Sun is in Aries, Kumbh is held in Haridwar.
The number 12 has a special connection with Aquarius
The origin of Kumbh is linked to Samudra Manthan, when there was a continuous war for 12 days between the gods and demons after the nectar pot was released. Meanwhile, the Kalash fell at four places on earth (Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik). The Moon stopped the flow of nectar from the pitcher, the Sun protected the pitcher from breaking, Jupiter protected the pitcher from demons and Saturn protected the pitcher from the fear of Lord Indra.
At last the Lord took the form of Mohini and distributed the nectar to everyone and thus the war between the gods and the demons ended. The reason for the number 12 is that there was a continuous war for twelve days between the gods and demons to get the nectar. The 12 days of the gods are equal to 12 years of humans. Thus there are 12 Aquarius. Only four of them are present in Kumbh Puthvi and eight are present in Kumbh Devlok.
The importance of number 12 is that it becomes 144 when it comes 12 times, which is called Mahakumbh. However, there is no mention of this in the scriptures. There is also no mention of Ardh Kumbh. Only complete Kumbh is mentioned in the scriptures. This does not mean that Artha Kumbh or Maha Kumbh is wrong. The Kumbh that comes in the 144th year after completion of 12 Kumbhs after 12 years is called Maha Kumbh, so there is nothing wrong in it. All this becomes a medium to bring together different sects of Sanatan Dharma.
