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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

"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.

See Examples For:

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

Eyewitnesses told BBC Hindi a "huge crowd" had gathered at the station, through which many people were travelling to and from the Hindu religious festival, the Kumbh Mela.

From BBC ● Feb. 15, 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 Hans Mattson

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