The largest gathering of humanity on the planet
The Maha Kumbh Mela is an age old Hindu festival where monks, babas, sadhus and gurus gather together where the three rivers meet, on the riverbank near Allahabad. This site has been created to give free Mela information about the festival. I'm not a tour guide or travel agent, I just know the Mela…
Seven melas at the Sangam since 1984. My first was a Magh Mela and we arrived late, with most of it already over. I had never heard of the Kumbh Mela before that.
There are several layers of history involved here and I will attempt to unravel them for you to see, because India is a very complex place. There is the ancient history of the myth, which begins with a great battle between the Gods and the Demons, and there is the recorded history that starts with a Chinese traveler in the 5th century who wrote about the massive event he found here.
The myth and the historyThis large gathering happens every 12 years, when the planets are in alignment, and a smaller fair is also held here every year. The festival is totally free in every sense, and by simply showing up you may find a place to stay and make many good friends, however you should always use caution as you explore the Mela. You should go there in January and see for yourself…
Dates, what to bring, and what to expectStart with a Magh Mela
Every January the Sangam fills again with the same river, the same tents, the same kalpvasis living the month out on the sand, and the same akharas, and what is missing is the eighty million people. A Magh Mela is the whole thing at a scale you can actually take in, so you can walk the ground, sit with someone for an hour, and find your way back to where you are sleeping at the end of the day. I have been to two of them and my very first mela was one, and I would send anyone there before they attempt a Maha Kumbh.
Where it's at
Allahabad, or Prayagraj as it is known again now, is in central India where the Ganges River meets the Jamuna River. According to both ancient mythology and modern astronomy, as the planets align every 12 years, the monks and Babas of India will come together to dip in the holy Ganges river. Many people travel to Allahabad and meet so many Sages, Saints, Sadhus and Gurus, receiving their blessings, cleansing their karma and healing their souls.
When to come
The Kumbh Mela is held in each city on a three year rotation, repeating every twelve years, and as you can see from the chart there is a small Magh Mela every year in Allahabad during the month of Magh, from mid January to mid February. The Ardh, or half, Kumbh Mela is held at both Allahabad and Hardwar. The Maha Kumbh Mela is only in Allahabad, once in twelve years, and the next one is in January 2037.
| Magh Mela | every January |
| Ardh Kumbh | 2031 |
| Maha Kumbh | January 2037 |
The exact dates are determined by the astrological alignment of the planets, and Vedic astrologers set them closer to the event. I update this page as they are confirmed.
The main bathing day
On the main day in 2007 all traffic was suspended near the mela, so we had to hike in about three miles to the main entrance. At 4am it was still dark and cold, so we waited until 10am to head for the mela. As we approached the Sangam area where the main bathing was going on, it was not really crowded, at least by 11am it was fine, and we had plenty of space and could go right up to the waterfront with no trouble at all.
People were so nice, each one getting ready for their dip or drying off from just dipping. We took turns making our own dip, and I went in first and dunked under the water three times in a row, as the tradition goes.
It is not always that calm. On the main day in 2025, Mauni Amavasya, a barrier gave way at the Sangam and people died in the crush. The official count was thirty seven, and some accounts put it higher. On the biggest bathing days the size of the crowd is a real thing to plan around, and it is often better to bathe an hour or two after the peak than to push into it.
Jaga Shanti Camp
In 2001 a group of us joined together for the mela and helped to create our own camp site, the Jaga Shanti Camp. I had seen the need back in '89, when I was there among 16 million of our brothers and sisters, and I wanted a camp for westerners near the Sangam with good facilities that people could afford. I wanted them to feel as safe as I did.
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