What is the Secret Behind the 144-Year Gap in Each Maha Kumbh Mela?

Maha Kumbh Mela is a sacred ritual that cleanses oneself by dipping in the holy rivers. It is organized at the shores of four divine places: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. It happens after a gap of 12 years by the government. Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is known as the biggest and most important religious ritual in the world, as it happens after the 144 years of Samudra Manthan on the earth.

Millions of devotees visit Kumbh Mela to be a part of it and dip in the holy waters of Ganga. It is believed that whoever takes a bath in the water, all his sins get erased and all his wishes get fulfilled. Kumbh Mela in 2025 is set up in Prayagraj, starting on the 13th of January. 

However, many people don’t know the reason behind organizing the Kumbh Mela or its significance.

The Origin Vedic Story of Maha Kumbh Mela

The Rigveda is one of the four sacred Hindu scriptures in Hinduism. It contains the origin Vedic story of Kumbh Mela. The Mahabharata, the epic written by Maha Rishi Veda Vyasa, narrated the pilgrimage in Prayag and bath in the holy Ganga, which dissolves all the sins of humans and helps in moving forward for Moksha or salvation. These two mentions are divine.

But if we look for more mentions of Kumbh Mela, we find it in the travel story of Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang). He wrote about the capital city of Prayag in the 7th century, where pilgrims visited to take a holy dip in the two big rivers. It is counted as the oldest record of Kumbh Mela by a human race and dates back to 644 CE. 

Secret of Maha Kumbh Mela

According to the mythological tale of the ocean churning, Lord Dhanvantari brought back the Amrit Kalash. But, after the tussle of churning, Indra Dev did not want to share the Amrit with the demons, so he signaled his son Jayant to run with the pot of nectar. As a result, demons and gods began to fight with each other. That eventually turned into a fierce war that ran for twelve days. It is believed that, as per the sacred texts, one day of the gods is equal to twelve years of humans. It continued for 12 days, which means 144 years of human life on the earth.

As he was flying, some drops of the Amrut fell on earth, and the place where they fell is known as the divine pilgrimage sites of Nashik, Prayagraj, Ujjain, and Haridwar. Kumbh Mela is a ritual of taking a bath in the nectar-filled water of the Ganga and other holy rivers to get rid of all problems and sins and for wish fulfillment. It is a way to pay tribute to the celestial events and the wisdom they hold for humans. 

Story of Amrit and Rahu and Ketu

The Vedic Story of Kumbh Mela has its deep roots in the celestial tussle known as Samudra Manthan or the Churning of the Milk Ocean. Gods and demons churned the Kshirsagar (Ocean of Milk) to bring back Goddess Lakshmi, Chandra Dev, the Moon God, Dhanvantari, Amrit, the pot of nectar or Amrut Kalash, and many precious things. 

Lord Vishnu had taken the form of a beautiful and divine damsel to distribute the nectar between Gods and Demons, but a demon tried to deceive Lord Vishnu. He took the form of a god and stood with other gods. He consumed nectar.

But the Moon God and the Sun God saw him deceiving the Lord of the Universe himself. So, they told everyone about the cheating, and as a result, Lord Vishnu cut the demon’s head, leaving him in a state of a floating head and a walking body. He did not die because of nectar. 

What Are the Three Types of Kumbh Mela as Per the Indian Mythology?

  1. Ardh Kumbh Mela

Ardh means half. The Ardh Kumbh Mela occurs every six years and is organized on the holy rivers of the Ganga, Yamuna, and invisible Saraswati in Prayagraj and Haridwar. It is for devotees seeking liberation from their sins.

  1. Purna Kumbh Mela

The Purna Kumbh means complete. It happens once every 12 years. The Purna Kumbh is organized on the banks of the Sangam in Prayagraj. Millions of Hindus gather to take a bath in the waters of the holy rivers—the most sacred rivers of India, Triveni Sangam—Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati.

  1. Maha Kumbh Mala

Maha Kumbh Mela happens after 12 full Kumbh Melas, once every 144 years. This rare event is the most sacred, and people across the globe fly to India to attend the special Maha Kumbh Mela. 

Significance and Wisdom of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025

Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, or the Amrit Kumbh or the Samudra Manthan, is a path of salvation. Every person must churn the hidden talent, passion, or purpose of his or her life to reach transcendental bliss. We must awaken our spiritual knowledge while seeking divine blessing and conversation with the Supreme for the ultimate goal—salvation.

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