Kumbh Mela

British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of Kumbh Mela

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Kumbh Mela

Easwar pointed to the challenges posed by mass events such as the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, where millions of devotees gather and large volumes of offerings are collected.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

At least 400 million devotees attend the Maha Kumbh Mela, the six-week ritual bathing spectacle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

In January, at least 30 people were killed in an early morning crush at the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu mega-festival in the northern city of Prayagraj.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2025

At least 30 people died in the crush at the Kumbh Mela on Wednesday, which was one of the holiest days of the six-week long Hindu festival.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2025

I said that nearly two million people visited Allahabad during the Kumbh Mela, which I attended.

From Reminiscences The Story of an Emigrant by Mattson, Hans