Kumbh Mela 2013 Photos from HT Park
These photos are send by one of our Facebook Page fan HT Park.
Allahabad Kumbh Mela 2013
On this page you will get information on kumbh mela at Allahabad and Other useful information about this city like how to reach here, tourist spots and much more.
Kumbh Mela 2013 Live Video Streaming
Live Kumbh Mela Videos
Almost all the news channels in India are covering kumbh mela. If you want to view live broadcast of kumbh mela than visit news channel websites. I will try to update you with latest information from kumbh mela on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KumbhMela2013.
Live videos will be broadcast from 5:30 Am onward on shahi snan day. First shahi snan starts at 6:00Am.
Live coverage of kumbh mela will be only on main bathing dates.
I will add more links on the day of shahi snan. Visit this page for latest live videos from kumbh mela 2013.
If you have any query please ask in comment or contact us.
Jai Ganga Maiya
Makar Sankarnti Shahi snan started at Sangam
Akhada Mahanirvani
Shahi Snan started with Shri Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhada sadhus taking holy dip at Sanganm. Mahanirvani Akhada sadhus are first who takes bath in kumbh mela. Their bathing time start from around 6:00 AM. Every Akhada has allotted 40 minutes time. All sadhus from each akahda must finish their bath (snan ) in this time period.
After shahi snan of one akhada the revier bank (ghat) is cleaned for bathing for next akhada. Shahi Snan will continue till evening.
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Aerial View of Kumbh Mela 2013
Aerial view of kumbh city created during festival
Here are recent photos shot using RC planes by our friend Gaurav during kumbh mela 2013. You can visit his website http://www.flyingcameraproductions.com Flying Camera Production for covering kumbh mela you can get more photos from his website.
Kumbh Mela 2013 map for all sectors
Kumbh Mela Map. Main bathing area is in sector 3 where all sadhus will take bath.
This map has parking area for all types of motor vehicles.
Visit Kumbh Mela Map on Google Maps
List of Akharas Participating in Kumbh mela 2013
Akharas In Kumbh Mela 2013
Here is list of participating akharas. This is official list published by kumbh mela administration.
| Sampradaya | Name Of Akharas | Adrress of Akharas |
|---|---|---|
| Saivas Sanyasi Akhada | Shri Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani | DaraGanj Prayag Allahabad |
| Shri Panch Atal Akhada | Chaak Hanuman KatuhaPura Kasi Varanasi | |
| Shri Panchayati Akhada Niranjani | 47/44 Mori Daraganj Prayag | |
| Taponidhi Shri Anand Akhada Panchayati | Swami Sagaranad Asharm Trikamsevar Nashik | |
| Shri Panchadashnam Juna Akhada | Bada Hanuman Ghat kasi,Varanasi | |
| Shri Panchadashnam Ahvan Akhada | D 17/122 Dashasmeva ghat kasi,Varanasi | |
| Shri Panchadashnam PanchaAgni Akhada | Talhati Girinagar po Bhavnath junagar(GJ) | |
| Vairagi Vaishnava Akhadas | Shri Digambarani Akhada | Samalaji Khaka chauka mandir Sambar Kantha GJ |
| Shri Nirvani Akhada | Shri Ahyodhya ji Hanuman Gadi Faizabad | |
| Shri Nimrohiani Akhada | Shri Nimrohiani Akhada Dhir Samir mandir vanshivat virndavan |
|
| Udasin Sampradaya Akhadas | Shri Panchayati Bada Udasin Akhada | Krishna Nagar Kiidganj Allahabad, |
| Shri Panchayati Akhada Naya Udasin | Kankhal Haridwar | |
| Shri Nirmal Panchayati Akhada | Sita ghat road kankhal haridwar |
Most significant days during the Kumbh Festival.
Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti is one of the most sacred festivals and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, great devotion, fervor and gaiety. The time from sunrise to sunset on Makar-Sankranti is very auspicious. A Holy bath during this period carries special significance. Those who take a holy bath in the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri acquire pious credits .
Paush Purnima
The day occurs when the moon is full in the Hindu month of Paush. This is the last full moon of winter. By this time, the sadhu and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrive at the Kumbh Mela. By the day, more pilgrims come to attend the festival in buses, trains and on foot. Each day from now on the population of Kumbhnagari (Kumbh City) doubles.
Mauni Amavasya Snan
This day is also referred to as the “New Moon of the Saints.” For the holy men and women, this is the main bathing day. New members to various holy monastic orders receive their first initiation on this day. More than fifty million people bathe in the holy waters during the Mauni Amavasya.
Basant Panchami Snan
This is the fifth day of the luminous half of the lunar month and is the beginning of spring in North India. Traditionally people wear yellow on this day. It is the day when people pray to the gods for a good bumper harvest.
Rath Saptami Snan
Ratha Saptami is a highly auspicious occasion dedicated to Lord Surya, the Sun God in Hinduism. Lord Surya, depicted riding a chariot driven by seven horses, is worshipped on this day. Rath Saptami festival is observed on the seventh day of Shukla Paksha in the Magh Month (January – February) in the traditional Hindu calendar.
Bhishma Ekadasi Snan
The Vishnu Sahasranama Stothram (thousand names dedicated to Lord Vishnu) was revealed to the Pandavas on this day by Bhishma when the latter was lying in a bed of arrows after the great war of Mahabharata. On this day, Bhishma Pithamaha, the oldest, wisest, most powerful and most righteous person belonging to the Kuru dynasty (approx. over 5000 years ago), narrated the greatness of Lord Krishna through Sri Vishnu Sahasranama to Yudhishtira, the oldest brother of Pandavas.
Description of the city created during the Kumbh Mela
A huge temporary city is created at the site of the festival for the millions of pilgrims that arrive for the most auspicious bathing days. Kumbh Mela is like a Yogi Convention, where yogis, sadhus (saints), holy people and pilgrims come from all over India. Many sadhus come from various holy places, remote forests and mountain caves in the Himalayas. The most famous of them are the Naga Babas, who are completely naked. Their bodies are smeared in ash and they wear their hair in deadlocks.
It is said that if a person bathes at the confluence (Sangam) of the Ganges, Yamuna and the subterranean Saraswati on one of the main bathing days during Kumbh Mela, he or she attains liberation. The Vishnu Purana says that one gets greater benefit by bathing during this festival than by performing 1,000 Ashwamedha Yajnas (horse sacrifices) or by circumambulating the earth 100,000 times. It is believed that by bathing at Maha Kumbh, a person is free of all his sins and 88 generations of his or her ancestors are benefited.
The main bathing days are known as ‘Shahi Snan’ or Royal Bathing Days. The main bathing day, which witnesses maximum participation, is on the Mauni Amavasya day (the dark moon). The next main day or the next Shahi Snan is said to be on Vasant Panchami (fifth day of the new moon). Another significant day is on the Bishma Ashtami which is the eighth day of the new moon. For further details please visit Kumbh Mela 2013.
Recommended Kumbh Mela 2013 Accommodation in Allahabad
In Sanskrit ‘Athiti’ means guest and “Atithi devo bhavaḥ” or अतिथि देवो भवः is a phrase equating guests to God. India is extremely rich in its culture and tradition which traces its roots back to the ancient Vedic stories. The guests in India are treated with extreme respect and are put at an elevated pedestal conforming to all their needs and luxuries. Stories in the Vedas like the one where Lord Vishnu visited his devotee’s house ratify the foundational nature of the tradition deeply engrained in Indian society. But unfortunately with the rise in commercialization and increasing separation from religion among the newer generations, this tradition is gradually dying out. The Kumbh Mela is also subjected to commercialism where people are using religion affinities of people to make money and accommodation is a big part of it. Travel agents have turned the great religious spectacle into a business and charge exorbitant rates from the pilgrims for accommodation and other facilities.
The site recommends accommodation at ISKCON or International Society for Krishna Consciousness’s.
The following table provides the details of the rates and facilities it offers.
The prices include accommodation as described and Prasadam (Food which offered to Lord Krishna).
| Dates | No of Days | No Persons | Swiss Cottage | European Plan |
|
13th to 15th Jan |
3 |
6 |
Rs 11,000 (225$) |
Rs 7,000 (145$) |
|
26th to 28th Jan |
3 |
6 |
Rs 11,000 (225$) |
Rs 7,000 ((145$) |
|
9th to 11th Feb |
3 |
6 |
Rs 21,000 (425 $) |
Rs 15,000 (300 $) |
|
14th to 18th Feb |
5 |
6 |
Rs 21,000 (425 $) |
Rs 15,000 (300 $) |
Swiss Cottage Tents will be available on dates other than those listed above for Rs.1,000 per day for six persons including Prasadam (Food).
Why we recommend ISKCON Accommodation during Kumbh Mela?
Based on our personal experience of staying in ISKCON temples we can ensure that you will get
- First class vegetarian food – Prasadam.
- Spiritual enlightenment by attending the functions at campsite.
There are many other religious groups having their own camps in Maha Kumbh festival and you can search for them as well to get inexpensive accommodation.
Early Preparation for Allahabad Kumbh Mela
Tourism Department facilitates skill development for the festival
UP Tourism, with the help of ‘Manyawar Kanshiram Institute of Tourism Management’ at Lucknow, has started training service providers on etiquettes, hygiene and first aid in preparation of this mega festival starting from 27-January-2013. With financial support from central government, the state tourism ministry has started two different sets of capacity building programmes to train the service providers through Service Providers (CBSP) and Hunar Se Rozgar Tak (HSRT) schemes.
Floating Post Offices at Kumbh Mela
The All India Post Service would be available right in the waters. The postal department of Allahabad plans to set up floating post offices at Maha Kumbh 2013 to facilitate the devotees and seers. The plan aims to help the pilgrims stay in touch with the other part of the world and send gifts to their friends and relatives.
Various postal services will be provided to the devotees at the festival site including money orders, speed posts, philately, saving accounts and insurance premiums. “Every time during the Kumbh Mela, the Indian Post sets up temporary post offices to help postal transactions for the visitors who attend the event in huge numbers. But this time, in addition to the temporary post offices, there would be floating post offices as well,” said Sachin Kishore, director postal services, UP headquarters.
The department plans to provide boats which would take the letters directly from the devotees and later dispatch the same to their respective destinations, he added.
Kumbh Mela says NO to Plastic! Go Green!
To keep the Kumbh Mela site free from plastic litters, a team constituted by the Mela authorities is conducting a mass awareness campaign in different parts of the city.
Post warden, civil defence, Rajendra Tiwari said, “We are organising seminars where we are asking people to prepare two cotton bags in every household which in turn would be distributed free of cost to pilgrims coming to the Kumbh Mela. Besides cotton bags, the civil defence volunteers would also hand over paper bags to visitors and tourists to keep the Mela area polythene-free.”
This time the festival authorities plan to make the Mela more Eco-friendly.
November 30 deadline set for festival preparations
Divisional commissioner Divesh Chaturvedi has stated that all work and arrangements for Kumbh Mela must be completed by the concerned authorities by November 30. Additionally, all on-going work should be inspected at least once a week with consequent presentation of its physical report, he said. Chaturvedi instructed the authorities while reviewing the work related to Kumbh at Gandhi gallery.