Kumbhamela is one of the great living ancient traditions on the planet. It is one of a kind of gathering where no one is invited, but all will arrive on time when the planets align themselves. What makes them come here is a mystery. Seeking, Devotion, Faith and Belief - If one wants to know the real meaning of these words then a visit to Kumbhamela is a must. To experience the spiritual and cultural integration of India one must visit the Kumbha Mela. It has something for everyone who visits to take home.
Word Kumbhamela is formed by two words, KUMBH in its literal English translation means POT or PITCHER, which emerged after the gods and demons, churned the milky ocean, and the term MELA means FAIR. Kumbhamela meant distribution-not hoarding- of nectar. Kumbhamela far transcends the literal translation. Also, full Kumbha signifies knowledge, so the essence of Kumbha Mela manifests in the form of knowledge, which liberates us while we are still living. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest spiritual gatherings on the planet. People come to Kumbha Mela with tremendous faith and in overwhelming numbers. They come by all means by bus, cars, ox-drawn carts, horseback, camels and even elephants, some come by planes, and the less affluent comes by walking carrying their belonging on their heads. Not only from India but travellers from around the world also come here to Kumbha Mela. People believe that simply by taking bath in the holy river one is freed from their past sins and attains liberation from cycles of birth and death. The people come from all walks of life travelling long distances and tolerating many discomforts just to take a dip in the holy waters.
To accommodate date such a large number of people visiting and taking baths on daily basis, enormous preparation needs to be done to successfully host the event without any disasters. A complete city will be raised with all the temporary facilities like internal roads, Electricity, Water supply, drainage line, security arrangements, PDS (public distribution system) shops, media centre, hospital, toilet, bathrooms & parking arrangements will be set up. This is a city, which just pops up within no time and it will be completely brought down after the event. There are places where the authorities get as little as just eight weeks to set up the whole thing because they have to wait for the water at river basins to recede completely to start any construction. The entire city rise, flourishes, fade and disappear in just less than five months. Creating such a huge encampment requires multiple aspects of planning, management, engineering, electricity grids, waterlines and sanitation systems etc. Universities like Harvard, Design schools, and medical institutions are coming to Kumbha Mela to study the Logistics, and economics making behind it.
