This occurs every 4 years. It is a festival in India and is currently going on. It lasts for about 2 weeks.
The location of the Kumbh Mela keeps changing. This year it is in Prayag. The next one in 2023 will be elsewhere. The four places are
Prayag
Haridwar
Ujjain
Nasik
More than 10 million people flock to the Kumbh Mela. This is where Babaji met Yogananda’s Guru Yukteshwar. I will recap the famous incident
Yukteshwar was in the Kumbh Mela and Babaji sent one of his disciples to get Yukteshwar. He addressed Yukteshwar as a Saint and asked him if he could write a book that would unite the western civilization with the eastern.
Yukteshwar replied and said he was not a Saint. Babaji, replied , those whose I have been divinely directed to call a Saint, never cast off the title.
Back to Kumbh Mela
People take a bath in the holy water during the Kumbh Mela. Before the occasion starts, People respectfully stand by the river and no one goes in the river until they say it is ok for them to go in. During the 30 min time when they are told to stand outside, people believe other divine personages like the Aghori take a bath. Such Aghori choose to remain invisible. The people who gather there are very eager and constantly pray and hope that one of the Aghori will cast their eyes on them.
The major attraction of going to the Kumbh Mela is the hope that a divine personage will bless them
The festival of Kumbh Mela has a story behind it. The Devas in heaven had lost their powers. They were losing to the Asuras. So lord Vishnu told them, you should drink the nectar of immortality from the ocean. In order to extract the nectar, you will need the cooperation of the asuras.
So on an auspicious day, the Asuras, in hope of getting the nectar ( the devas had no intention of sharing it though), helped the Devas. They took the Meru mountain and used it as a churning rod. They put the Mountain in the middle of the Ocean and used the powerful Vasuki snake as a rope. And on one side the Devas and on the other side the Asuras started churning the ocean.
First what came out of the ocean was Poison. Everyone was afraid of it. They went to Lord Shiva and he said nothing to worry, I will drink it. He drank it and his neck instantly turn bluish. Hence he is called Neelkanth also. Then many other great treasures came out. Finally the nectar – KUMBH came out. This is where the devas stole it and the places where the Kumbh or nectar spilled is where the people gather every 4 years. Haridwar, Nasik, Ujjain and Prayag.
Lord Vishnu took the form of Mohini to deceive the Asuras. Finally, Laxmi appeared from the ocean and he gave his daughter Laxmi to Vishnu for marriage.
There is a rather funny shlock in Sanskrit. It says who says clothing is not important. Looking at the clothes, Samudra or ocean gave poison to Lord Shankar (he is usually poorly dressed or naked) and gave his beautiful daughter Laxmi to Lord Vishnu (who is very immaculately adorned)
Now, of course, this whole story is the story of how to meditate and conquer the mind. That remains a topic for another day.
Somehow, I never finish my stories.!
Bhavin