According to Hindu mythology, ‘Ardh Kumbh Mela’ takes place when the planet Jupiter enters Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries. Kumbha (meaning pot) Mela (meaning fair) is considered a very sacred Hindu pilgrimage. It takes place at the following four sacred places across India:
- Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh)
- Haridwar (Uttarakhand)
- Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh)
- Nasik (Maharashtra)
The next Ardh kumbh Mela will take place in the holy city of Haridwar from January 1, 2016 to April 30, 2016.
The main bathing dates for the upcoming Kumbh Mela are –
| Date (2016) | Day | Event |
| 14th January | Thursday | Makar Sankranti |
| 12th February | Friday | Vasant Panchami |
| 22nd February | Monday | Magh Purnima |
| 7th March | Monday | Mahashivratri |
| 7th April | Thursday | Chaitra Amavasya |
| 8th April | Friday | Chaitra Shukla Pratipada |
| 14th April | Thursday | Mesha Sankranti |
| 15th April | Friday | Ram Navami |
| 22nd April | Friday | Chaitra shukla Purnima |
Kumbh mela
Rivers have always held a special place in Hindu mythology, as these are considered to be the carriers of life and fertility. Hence the rivers always remain a part of almost all major festivals in India. One of the festivals which are worth mentioning in this context is Kumbh Mela. This fair is perhaps the largest religious gathering in any religion around the world. A vast number of people gather at different places and perform different rituals on this day by the banks of different rivers. The name Kumbh Mela consists of two words, the literal meaning of the name of the festival is, “Kumbh” which means a pitcher or a pot, the word Kumbh also signifies a Hindu sun sign, Aquarius. The word Mela means a fair or a gathering.
This is a fair which is conducted at four different places of India on the banks of pious rivers. The places where the mela is conducted are Haridwar, on the banks of river Ganges; Ujjain by the river Shipra; Nasik by the river Godawari and at Allahabad by the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati. During the festival the banks of these rivers become a large bathing ground for the rich, the poor, the sadhus and the women alike. For each place the Kumbh Mela repeats every 12 years, but in actuality there are four different Kumbh Melas which take place at different sites. For e.g. if the Kumbh Mela is taking place in Prayag in the year 2011 then the next Kumbh Mela will take place at Ujjain.
Though all the Kumbh Melas enjoy almost similar quantity of devotees but the name of Haridwar comes at the top of all Indian pilgrimages. Hence the Kumbh Mela of Haridwar enjoys exceptional media coverage and Tourist traffic. The place is termed as the gateway to heaven in Hindu mythological scriptures.
The Myth behind the celebration of Kumbh Mela goes like this, after the Deva-Asura war, which went on for quite some time, both the involved parties came to a conclusion that they instead of fighting should come together and churn the milky ocean to obtain the Elixir. The sea was churned and elixir was obtained but it was not meant for the Asura or the demons hence the god who appeared from the sea with the Kumbh or the pitcher of elixir ran from the chasing Asuras. In this chase a few drops fell on earth and now at these four places the Kumbh Mela is conducted.
We are frantically preparing to serve all of you attending Kumbh mela. Demand for one-way rides to Haridwar are already ramping up. We are gearing up to help our clients make it to the Kumbh mela and back safely.
if you are booking cabs for Kumbh mela, please plan on making your reservations well ahead of time. Gozo is taking clients from all over Northern India to Haridwar for the holy ‘snan’ (bath).
We are taking reservations for one-way rides from Delhi Airport to Kumbh mela. Let our experienced and knowledgeable drivers take you comfortably on your pilgrimage