Kumbh Mela

/ ˌkʊm məˈlɑː; ˌkʊm ˈmeɪlə /

noun

1. a Hindu festival held once every twelve years in one of four sacred sites, where bathing for purification from sin is considered especially efficacious

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kumbh Mela¹

from Hindi, literally: pitcher festival or Aquarius festival, from Sanskrit kumbha pot, Aquarius + melā assembly

Example Sentences

While managing massive religious gatherings is always a tough task, India does have successful examples such as the Kumbh Mela, which is held across four states.

From BBC

A 'Naga Sadhu,' or Hindu holy man, places a mask across his face before entering the Ganges river during the traditional Shahi Snan, or royal dip, at the Kumbh Mela festival in Haridwar, India, April 12, 2021.

From Reuters

In April last year, millions of pilgrims had gathered in the Himalayan town of Haridwar, in the neighbouring state of Uttarakhand, to participate in the Kumbh Mela festival even as several cities grappled with a severe shortage of oxygen and hospital beds.

From BBC

In early March, the government declared that the country was in “the endgame of the pandemic,” and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sanctioned crowded election rallies in several states, as well as the Kumbh Mela festival, which attracted millions of devotees.

From New York Times

“We have constituted a four-members committee that will submit its report in two weeks,” Dr. Arjun Singh Sengar, a Haridwar health officer who was in charge of testing for Kumbh Mela, said in an interview.

From New York Times