Ardh Kumbh Mela (haridwar) & Kumbh Mela (ujjain)

ARDH KUMBH MELA (HARIDWAR) & KUMBH MELA (UJJAIN)
The origin of the festival kumbh mela lie in the ancient belief in the conflict between the gods and the demons over the possession of the "Amrit Kumbh", a pitcher filled with nectar.

According to astrologers, the 'Kumbh Fair' takes place when the planet Jupiter enters Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries. According to mythology, 'Devas' (Gods) and 'Asuras' (Demons) churned the ocean to obtain Nectar and when the coveted 'Kumbha' (pitcher) of Nectar (Amrita) which gave immortality was obtained from the depths of ocean, one of the 'Devas' whisked away the 'Kumbha' from the 'Asuras' and evading from the 'Asuras', stopped at four places viz. Hardwar, Allahabad (Prayag), Nasik and Ujjain before he finally arrived into the safety of heaven. A few drops of Nectar are supposed to have spilled over on the water at these four places and sages, saints and pilgrims started periodically to flock to each of these 'Tirthas' to celebrate the divine event. In fact , it is a unique event that blends religious and social features alike.

Venue (Ardh-Kumbh Mela) : Hardwar, Uttaranchal (North India).
Venue (Kumbh Mela) : Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh (Central India).

Hardwar (The Gateway to God...) : Hardwar stands as the gateway to the four pilgrimages of Uttaranchal. Geographically and geological, Hardwar, lying at the feet of Shiva's hills, i.e., Shivaliks, in the Hardwar district of Uttaranchal Pradesh, is a doorway. Suryavanshi prince Bhagirath performed penance here to salvage the souls of his ancestors who had perished due to the curse of sage Kapila. The penance was answered and the river Ganga trickled forth form Lord Shiva's locks and its bountiful water revived the sixty thousand sons of king Sagara. In the traditional of Bhagirath, devout Hindus stand in the sacred waters here, praying for salvation of their departed elder. It is doorway to the sources of the Ganga and the Yamuna, 3000 to 4500 meters up into the snowy ranges of the central Himalayas. The 'Aarti' worship of the Ganga after sunset and the floating 'dia' (lamp) is a moving ritual.

The Auspicious Bathing Dates for the Ardh Kumbh Mela in 2004, Haridwar:

Monday 26th January'04 · Friday 06th February'04 · Wednesday 18th February'04 · Saturday 20th March'04 · Sunday 21st March’04· Tuesday 13th April ‘04· Wednesday 14th April ‘04

UJJAIN (City of Victory), is the modern name for Ujjayini, is located on the banks of river Shipra- in central India. Legend has it that the hoary past, the God like king Shiva of Avanti commemorated his victory over the demon-ruler of Tripura or Tripuri on the banks of the Narmada by changing the name of his capital, Avantipura to Ujjayini (one who conquers with pride).

Ujjain is one of the best known cities of ancient India and one of Hinduism's seven holy cities and one of the four centres of the Kumbh Mela, attracting about three million pilgrims every 12 years, for sacred bathing. At other times, a constant stream come to bathe in the river Shipra and worship at the temples. In its heyday, Ujjain was on a flourishing trade route to Mesopotamia and Egypt.

The special dates for taking auspicious holy bath are as follows:
Dates:
Monday, 05th April '04 : PURNIMA
Monday, 19th April '04 : KRISHNA AMAVASYA
Thursday, 22nd April '04 : SHUKLA TRITIYA
Saturday, 24th April '04 : SHUKLA PANCHMI
Tuesday, 04th May '04 : SHAHI SNAN - PURNIMA