Kumbh Mela

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kumbh Mela¹

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

Example Sentences

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.

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Deadly crushes are not uncommon in India, and there have been several similarly tragic incidents this year alone, including at the famous Kumbh Mela Hindu festival and outside a cricket stadium.

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A BBC Hindi investigation reveals that Indian officials quietly paid compensation to the families of more people than they admit died in a deadly crowd crush at the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival which is the world's largest religious gathering.

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In the video, Dhananjay introduces himself, saying: "My mother Tara Devi and I went to the Kumbh Mela for a holy dip. My mother died. Officers from UP came and gave us 500,000 rupees. We have received it."

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In contrast, the cases that received 500,000 rupees mostly mention "Sector-20 or Sector-21, Kumbh Mela area, Jhusi".

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