Photo: Subhankar Banerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0
Haridwar Kumbh 2021: what happened, in brief
The 2021 Haridwar Kumbh was held during the second wave of COVID-19. The shortened one-month season, the testing rules, the bathing days and how the mela ended, from dated reports.
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History and Sacred Geography
Where the Kumbh comes from, why these four places, and how the names and dates work.
9 articles
Kumbh Mela and UNESCO: what the 2017 listing means
In December 2017 UNESCO added Kumbh Mela to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. What the listing recognises, what it asked of India, and what it does not mean.
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Why the Nashik and Ujjain Kumbh is called Simhastha
In Hindu astrological tradition, the Kumbh at Nashik–Trimbakeshwar and at Ujjain is held when Jupiter is in Simha, the sign Leo. That is where the name Simhastha comes from, and why the two still fall in different seasons.
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Maha Kumbh 2025 in numbers: what the official records say
The official count for Maha Kumbh 2025 at Prayagraj, the bathing-day estimates, the arrangements on the ground, and why the figures in different releases do not match.
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Is Haridwar 2027 an Ardh Kumbh or a Kumbh?
PTI calls Haridwar 2027 an Ardh Kumbh; the Uttarakhand government calls it Haridwar Kumbh 2027, and its own website uses both names. Why, and whether it matters for your trip.
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How to read Kumbh names and dates in the news
Ardh Kumbh, Purna Kumbh, Maha Kumbh, Simhastha, Amrit Snan: the names in Kumbh news are used in different ways. How to read them, and how to tell an announced date from an expected one.
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Photo: Tirth
Four rivers, four Kumbh places: the Ganga, the Sangam, the Godavari and the Shipra
Each Kumbh place has its own river: the Ganga at Haridwar, the Sangam at Prayagraj, the Godavari at Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, and the Shipra at Ujjain. Where each river comes from, and what tradition says about it.
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Ramkund and Kushavarta: the two sacred waters of the Nashik Kumbh, and how to choose
Ramkund is a pool built in the Godavari's bed in Nashik; Kushavarta is a stone kund at Trimbakeshwar where, by tradition, the river comes out again. Their stories, rites and 2027 dates, and how to choose between them.
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Why Nashik and Trimbakeshwar are two Kumbh centres, and how they connect
The Nashik Simhastha is one Kumbh at two places on the Godavari, about 30 km apart: Ramkund in Nashik and Kushavarta at Trimbakeshwar. Why, in tradition and history, how the two connect by road, and what it means for 2027.
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