Maha Kumbh Mela 2025

Why in News?

• Maha Kumbh will be organized in Prayag from 13 January to 26 February.

What is Kumbh?

• Kumbh Mela is an important festival of Hinduism.
• This holy event takes place in four places in India - Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik and Prayagraj and each of these cities is located on the banks of the holy river.
• These include Ganga to Kshipra, Godavari and Prayagraj is the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati.
• In this, crores of devotees gather in Kumbh festival and take bath in the river.
• According to astronomical calculations, this fair starts on the day of Makar Sankranti, when the Sun and Moon enter Scorpio and Jupiter enters Aries.
• This time is considered to be an auspicious period for spiritual cleanliness and self-knowledge.
• At each of these places, an Ardha Kumbh is also held every 12th year and at Prayag, at an interval of six years between two Kumbh festivals.
• The Kumbh of 2013 was held at Prayag.

History of Kumbh Mela:

• The Kumbh Mela has roots that go back thousands of years, with the earliest mention being found in the Vedas and during the Mauryan and Gupta periods (4th century BC to 6th century AD).
• It was visited by pilgrims from all over the Indian subcontinent.
• The Gupta rulers further elevated its status as a prestigious religious congregation.
• During the medieval period, the Kumbh Mela received patronage from various royal dynasties, including the Chola and Vijayanagara empires in the south, the Delhi Sultanate in the north, the Mughals and other Rajput rulers.
• Even Mughal emperors like Akbar attended the celebrations, reflecting the spirit of religious tolerance.
• In the colonial period, British administrators observed the festival and documented it, amazed by its huge scale and the diverse gatherings that attended it.
• After independence, the Maha Kumbh Mela gained even greater importance, symbolizing national unity and India's rich cultural heritage.
• Kumbh is recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2017.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization):

• It is an agency of the United Nations.
• Objective:- To promote international peace and security through education, science, culture, and communication.
• It was founded in November, 1945.
• Its headquarters are in Paris, France.
• The UNESCO World Heritage Site Committee selects and oversees special sites in the world.
• India has 43 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
  • Of these, 35 are cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed heritage.