Before the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela was the 2013 Maha Kumbh, so how often does the Kumbh really take place and why is this one being touted to be held after 144 years?
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00:00Next Mahakumbh in 2169? Well, as the largest gathering of humanity comes to an end, we
00:12ask ourselves, is the next rare Mahakumbh really going to follow after 144 years, as
00:17many say it is? The grand event that was the Mahakumbh concluded on February 26, 2025,
00:2345 days since it began on January 13. The general notion is that the Poon Kumbh or Mahakumbh
00:29is a spectacle held every 12 years, while the Ardh Kumbh or the Half Kumbh is held every
00:346 years. So how did they talk about the 144 years coming in the first place? Before that,
00:40some context. Dating back to the Rig Veda, the story of the Kumbh is as old as time.
00:44It refers to the picture of immortality that surfaced during the churning of the ocean,
00:49as gods and demons fought a celestial battle for 12 days. In short, it took 12 days for
00:54the picture to reach heaven, and in between, drops of the nectar fell at four locations
00:58on the earth, forming the sites for the Kumbh Mela. In Hinduism, these 12 days are equivalent
01:03to 12 human years. The last Mahakumbh Mela actually took place in 2013, which is 12 years
01:09back, although with a celestial alignment not as special as this time. So it appears
01:14that the only reason this Mahakumbh is rare is because of the apparent once-in-144-years
01:19planetary parade, which marks the end of 12 cycles of the Kumbh. So the previous would
01:24have happened 144 years back? 1881, it would have to be, back when the British still ruled
01:30over the country. In fact, historian Kama McLean hypothesizes that the 1870 Mela was
01:36the first ever fair at Trayagraj to be called a Kumbh Mela. In the six-week-long journey
01:41of the Kumbh in 2025, nearly 65 crore people took the amrit snan in Trayagraj. The Mahakumbh
01:48has always had a deep cosmic connection, particularly with the orbit of Jupiter, when it aligns
01:53with the Sun and the Moon. Millions of devotees believe that bathing in the holy waters at
01:57Trimini Sangam washes away sins and brings you closer to spiritual liberation or moksha.
02:02According to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, 50% of the Sanatan Dhan followers in the world
02:08took the dip during the Mahakumbh of 2025. Until next time, tell us your favourite moments
02:13of the Mahakumbh Mela of 2025.