Ujjain

mahakubh 2016

This festival will start on 22nd of April and will

end on 21st of May 2016.
The Kumbh Mela is the most significant and
eventful festival for Hindus, which is held every
three years. The four important pilgrim centers
which host it are Ujjain, Allahabad, Nashik and
Haridwar. It is a pious and sacred festival for the
Hindus in India.
Ujjain is situated near the river Shipra and it is
considered as one of the most sacred places of
India. During the Kumbh Mela, millions of
devotees flock to Ujjain to take a holy dip and
worship the river

Shipra. The sadhus from all parts of India come to

Ujjain to attend the Kumbh in order to attain
liberation and salvation. Ujjain is also the place
where Maharishi Sandipani had taught Lord
Krishna, along with Sudama and Balarama.

When Guru(Jupiter) and the Sun are in the zodiac

sign Scorpio(Vrishchik Rashi), it is celebrated at
Ujjain. The Ujjain Kumbh Mela is referred to as the
Simhastha Kumbha Mela. It is a totally different
experience when devotees and sadhus come
together and go ahead for the shahi snan a dip
in the sacred river Shipra, which is believed to get
rid of all sins of a person. After taking a dip in
river Shipra, all pilgrims visit the temple and bow
before the Lord and they echo the name of the
lord (Mahakalesvara). The next Simhastha
Kumbha Mela will be held in Ujjain in 2016

The unique feature of the Simhastha Kumbha or

the Simhastha Parva is the coming together of
ten events, which are-

The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The

Purnima (Full moon day)

month of Baisakha
bright fortnight
brihaspati (Jupitor) in Leo
sun in the arise (Mesha Rasi)
vyatipata yoga
moon in the libra (Tula rasi)
holy Ksetra Avantika and
pious Monday

There is an ancient banyan tree in Ujjain

Siddhawat which is believed to possess
exemplary spiritual powers and many devotees
and sages worship it and meditate under it. The
city has also been home to great rulers such as
King Chandragupta II and legendary scholars
including Bhaskaracharya, Brahmagupta and
Kalidasa.

History of
simhastha

Kumbh derives its name from the immortal Pot of

Nectar, which the Devtas (Demigods) and Asuras
(Demons) fought over, described in
ancient Vedic scriptures known as the Puranas. It
is these Vedic literatures that have stood the test
of time, out of which the tradition has evolved
into the one that the world now knows as The
Kumbh Mela. Legend tells a tale from the bygone
days of the universe when the devtas and the
asuras conjointly produced the nectar of
immortality. The devtas, because cursed, were
crippled of fear that eventually made them weak.
The task being too sturdy for them alone, the
devtas made a mutual agreement with the asuras
to complete it in full and share the nectar of
immortality in half. It is said that the devtas and
the asuras assembled on the shore of the milk
ocean that lies in the celestial region of the
cosmos. And it began!

For the task of churning the milk ocean, the Mandara

Mountain was used as the churning rod, and Vasuki, the
king of serpents, became the rope for churning.
With the devtas at Vasukis tail and the asuras at his
head, the churning began. At first, the churning of the
milk ocean produced a deadly poison which Lord Shiva
drank without being affected. As Lord Shiva drank the
poison, a few drops fell from his hands which were licked
by scorpions, snakes, and similar other deadly creatures.
Also, during the churning, the Mandara Mountain began
to sink deep into the ocean, seeing which Lord Vishnu
incarnated as a great tortoise and supported the
mountain on His back. Finally, many hurdles and 1000
years later, Dhanwantari appeared with the Kumbh of
immortal nectar in his hands. The devtas, being fearful of
the asuras' ill intent, forcibly seized the pot with its
safety entrusted onto the four Gods - Brahaspati, Surya,
Shani, and Chandra.

Asuras, after learning that their part of the agreement

has not been kept, went after the devtas and for 12 days
and 12 nights, the chase continued. Wherever the devtas
went with the pot of nectar, fierce fighting ensued. It is
believed that
during this chase, a few drops from the Kumbh fell at four
places - Allahabad,
Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik. There is also a prevalent
legend that it was actually the asuras that were being
chased by the devtas for 12 days and 12 nights, during
which the drops of elixir of immortality fell at these four
places. These four places are since believed to have
acquired mystical powers. Because 12 days of Gods are
equivalent to 12 years for humans; the Kumbh Mela is
celebrated once every 12 years in each of the four places
- banks of river Godavari in Nasik, river Kshipra in Ujjain,
river Ganges in Haridwar, and at the Sangam of Ganges,
Yamuna, and Saraswati in Allahabad, where the drops are
believed to have fallen. Millions of devout, come together
to partake in ritualistic bathing and ceremonies to