Haridwar Kumbh Mela
| Haridwar Kumbh Mela हरिद्वार कुम्भ मेला |
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Pilgrims gather for the third Shahi Snan ("royal bath") at Har ki Pauri in Haridwar on 14 April 2010
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| Status | active |
| Genre | Fair |
| Frequency | Every 12 years |
| Venue | Banks of Ganges |
| Location(s) | Haridwar, Uttarakhand |
| Coordinates | 29°57′29″N 78°10′16″E / 29.958°N 78.171°ECoordinates: 29°57′29″N 78°10′16″E / 29.958°N 78.171°E |
| Country | India |
| Previous event | 2004 |
| Next event | 2016 |
| Participants | Akharas, pilgrims and merchants |
| Sponsor | Government of India |
| Website | |
| kumbhmelaharidwar |
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The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar is a mela held every 12 years at Haridwar, India. The exact date is determined according to Hindu astrology: the Mela is held when Jupiter is in Aquarius and the sun enters Aries. An Ardh Kumbh ("Half Kumbh") Mela is held six years after a Kumbh Mela.
The fair has a religious significance to Hindus, but it has also attracted people from other faiths. Historically, it was an important commercial event, and was attended by merchants from as far as Arabia.
The last Haridwar Kumbh Mela took place in 2010; the next one is scheduled in 2021 or 2022, with an Ardh Kumbh Mela scheduled in 2016.
Haridwar is one of the four sites of Kumbh Mela, the others being Prayag (Allahabad), Trimbak (Nashik) and Ujjain. Although there are several references to riverside bathing festivals in ancient Indian literature, the exact age of the Kumbh Mela is uncertain.
The fair at Haridwar appears to be the original Kumbh Mela, since it is held according to the astrological sign Kumbha (Aquarius), and because there are several references to a 12-year cycle for it. The Haridwar Kumbh Mela dates at least from the early 1600s. The earliest extant texts that use the name "Kumbha Mela" are Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh (1695 CE) and Chahar Gulshan (1789 CE). Both these texts use the term "Kumbh Mela" to describe only Haridwar's fair, although they mention the similar fairs at Allahabad (the annual Magh Mela) and Nashik (the Simhastha). The Kumbh Melas at the other three places seem to be adaptation of Haridwar's Kumbh Mela to the pre-existing local festivals.
The Muslim conqueror Timur invaded Haridwar in 1398, and massacred a number of pilgrims, possibly at a Kumbh Mela.Dabestan-e Mazaheb of Mohsin Fani mentions a battle at Haridwar between competing akharas in 1640, again possibly at a Kumbh Mela.
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Wikipedia