Kumbh Mela

British

/ ˌkʊm məˈlɑː, ˌkʊm ˈmeɪlə /

noun

a Hindu festival held once every twelve years in one of four sacred sites, where bathing for purification from sin is considered especially efficacious

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Kumbh Mela

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Kaikeyi Devi, who travelled from Bihar state with her husband to attend the Kumbh Mela, says she can't shake the image of him getting trampled in front of her eyes.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025

The timing and duration of each Kumbh Mela are determined by astrologers and religious authorities.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023