Ujjain Kumbh Mela 2016 Dates

October 1, 2012/7 Comments/in Ujjain Kumbh/by admin

Ujjain Maha Kumbh Mela 2016

This festival will start on 22nd of April and will end on 21st of May 2016.

The Kumbh Mela is the most significant and eventful festival for Hindus, which is held every three years. The four important pilgrim centers which host it are Ujjain, Allahabad, Nashik and Haridwar. It is a pious and sacred festival for the Hindus in India.

Ujjain is situated near the river Shipra and it is considered as one of the most sacred places of India. During the Kumbh Mela, millions of devotees flock to Ujjain to take a holy dip and worship the river Shipra. The sadhus from all parts of India come to Ujjain to attend the Kumbh in order to attain liberation and salvation. Ujjain is also the place where Maharishi Sandipani had taught Lord Krishna, along with Sudama and Balarama.

When Guru(Jupiter) and the Sun are in the zodiac sign Scorpio(Vrishchik Rashi), it is celebrated at Ujjain. The Ujjain Kumbh Mela is referred to as the ‘Simhastha Kumbha Mela’. It is a totally different experience when devotees and sadhus come together and go ahead for the shahi snan – a dip in the sacred river Shipra, which is believed to get rid of all sins of a person. After taking a dip in river Shipra, all pilgrims visit the temple and bow before the Lord and they echo the name of the lord (Mahakalesvara). The next Simhastha Kumbha Mela will be held in Ujjain in 2016

The unique feature of the Simhastha Kumbha or the Simhastha Parva is the coming together of ten events, which are-

The Purnima (Full moon day)
The month of Baisakha
The bright fortnight
The brihaspati (Jupitor) in Leo
The sun in the arise (Mesha Rasi)
The vyatipata yoga
The moon in the libra (Tula rasi)
The holy Ksetra Avantika and
The pious Monday

There is an ancient banyan tree in Ujjain – Siddhawat which is believed to possess exemplary spiritual powers and many devotees and sages worship it and meditate under it. The city has also been home to great rulers such as King Chandragupta II and legendary scholars including Bhaskaracharya, Brahmagupta and Kalidasa.

Temples of Ujjain

There are many temples in Ujjain. The famous ones are Mahakaleshwar, Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir, Harsidhhi Temple, Kal Bhairav, Chintaman Ganesh, Mangalnath Temple, Godkalika, Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan Temple, Jain Temples, Prashanti Dham, Maa Waageshwari, Triveni, Gopal Mandir, Siddhhanath, Gebi Hanuman, Shiv Shakti and the Vikram Kirti Temple.

Climate of Ujjain

The climate in Ujjain is sub-tropical just as in North-Central India. It has a hot summer from March-May and rains start in June and continue till October. Winter season is from mid November. Winters are very cold with the minimum temperature going to as low as 3°C.

Reaching Ujjain

Ujjain is well-connected to all major cities in India.

Roadways – The state road transport service connects Ujjain to all major cities. Buses are available from Ahmedabad, Gwalior, Indore and Bhopal.
Railways – The Ujjain Junction Railway Station is one of the important rail stations of the Western Railways. There are direct trains from all major cities in India.
Airways –The nearest airport is the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, which is in Indore and it is 55 Kms from Ujjain. One can hire a taxi from there.

Kumbh Mela celebration depends on the position of the planets and stars

September 30, 2012/0 Comments/in Kumbh Mela/by admin

Where and when is Kumbh Mela Celebrated?

The Maha Kumbh festival is celebrated at different places depending on the position of the planets Bṛhaspati (Jupiter) and the Sun.
Following are the city wise positions of Brhaspati (Jupiter) and Sun.

Kumbh at Prayag or Allahabad
When Jupiter is in Aries circle and Sun and Moon are in Capricorn Kumbh mela is held at Prayag on the lunar conjunction day (अमावस्या)
Sanskrit verse:
मेष राशि गते जीवे मकरे चन्द्र भास्करौ ।
अमावस्या तदा योगः कुम्भख्यस्तीर्थ नायके ।।

When Jupiter is in Taurus (Vrishabha Rashi) and Sun is in Capricorn (Makar Rashi) during the month of Magha (January-February) then Kumbha Mela is celebrated at Prayag.
मकरे च दिवा नाथे ह्‍म‍जगें च बृहस्पतौ कुम्भ योगोभवेत्तत्र प्रयागे ह्‌यति दूलर्भ:

Kumbh at Haridwar

When Jupiter is in Aquarius and Sun is in Aries (Mesha Rashi) during the month of Chaitra (March-April) then Kumbha Mela is celebrated at Haridwar.
Sanskrit verse
पद्‍मिनी नायके मेषे कुम्भ राशि गते गुरोः ।
गंगा द्वारे भवेद योगः कुम्भ नामा तथोत्तमाः।।

Kumbh at Ujjain

When Jupiter (Guru) is in Leo and Sun is in Scorpio (Vrishchik Rashi) or when all three are in Libra during the month of Vaisakha (April-May) then Kumbha Mela is celebrated at Ujjain.

मेष राशि गते सूर्ये सिंह राशौ बृहस्पतौ ।
उज्जियन्यां भवेत कुम्भः सदामुक्‍ति प्रदायकः ।।

घरेसूरिः शशि सूर्य कुह्‍मं दामोदरे यदा।
धरायां च तदा कुम्भों जायते खलु मुक्‍तिद: ।।
अहं राष्‍ट्री संगमनी वसूनाम्‌श्‍

Kumbh at Nashik

When Jupiter (Guru) and Sun are in the zodiac sign Leo (Simha Rashi) during the month of Bhadrapada (August-September) then Kumbha Mela is celebrated at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik

सिंह राशि गते सूर्ये सिंह राशौ बृहस्पतौ ।
गोदावर्या भवेत कुम्भों जायते खलु मुक्‍तिदः ।।

कर्के गुरू स्तथा भानुचन्द्रश्‍चन्द्रर्क्षगतस्था ।
गोदावर्या तदा कुम्भो जयाते Sवनि मण्डले ।।

For more Information Please refer following Vedic scriptures.
Naradiya (Narada नारद पुराण ) Purana 2-66-44
Shiva Purana 1-12-22-23
Astrological analysis is available in Barah Purana 1-71-47-48
Brahma Purana about events of (Kumbh mela occurring every 12 years)

Haridwar Maha Kumbh Mela 2010

September 30, 2012/0 Comments/in Haridwar Kumbh/by admin

Last Kumbh Mela was celebrated at Haridwar in the year 2010

Recommended Kumbh Mela 2013 Accommodation in Allahabad

September 28, 2012/42 Comments/in Allahabad Kumbh, Featured Slider/by admin

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.

Kumbh Mela Nashik

For 2015 Kumbh Mela Accommodation details Please contact us at 9403857399

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.

Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 Photos

September 27, 2012/0 Comments/in Photos and Videos/by admin

Photos of previous Kumbh Melas

Keep watching for the latest pictures of Kumbh mela 2013 in January 2013.

Early Preparation for Allahabad Kumbh Mela

September 25, 2012/5 Comments/in Allahabad Kumbh, Featured Slider/by admin

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.

Ways to Reach Allahabad Kumbh Mela

September 9, 2012/1 Comment/in Allahabad Kumbh/by admin

The last Kumbh Mela festival witnessed the attendance of 70 million devotees from across the world. This time the estimated participation for the festival is around 80 to 90 million. Visiting Allahabad during the mega festival is a tedious task as all the modes of transport including trains, local and state buses would be flocked with the people enthused to witness the spectacle. Even a reserved seat does not guarantee comfortable travel due to the massive influx of pilgrims in the city. The challenges and hindrances encountered to attend the festival make it all the more inviting and adventurous.

Mela Site Allahabad

Nearest metropolitan Cities

New Delhi is the nearest city. Distance between New Delhi – Allahabad is 643Km.

Distance between other metropolitan cities and Allahabad:

Kolkata – 799km
Mumbai – 1444km
Chennai – 1790km
Bengaluru (Bangalore) -1652km
Pune – 1323km
Hyderabad – 1086

Allahabad is well connected with various cities through Rail, Air and Road.

By Air:

Allahabad is connected by air through the Bamrauli Air Force Base, which is 12 Km from Allahabad. The airport serves domestic flights from all major cities with prominent airlines being Air India, Go Air, Indigo, SpiceJet, JetKonnect and Kingfisher. Most of these flights are via New Delhi.

By Road:

The National and State Highways connect Allahabad with all the major cities of the country. The NH2 runs right through the city while NH27 starts from Allahabad and ends at Mangawan in Madhya Pradesh. NH96 joins NH28 in Faizabad and connects the two major Hindu pilgrimage centres of the country – Allahabad and Ayodhya. Allahabad caters to the public road transport demand through interstate bus services. Local transportation like tourist taxis, cabs, auto rickshaws, and local buses are also available for travel within various parts of Allahabad and also to some neighbouring cities.

By Rail:

Allahabad is well connected by rail as it is the Headquarter of North Central Railway. Majority of the Kumbh Mela pilgrims prefer trains as the mode of transport and hence during the festival the railways reach their optimum usage.

Following is the list of trains from Allahabad to other cities including 1AC, 2AC, 3AC and SL (non AC sleeper) classes for your convenience.

Trains For Allahabad:

It is well connected through Railways because is headquarter of north central railway. Most of devotees who visit kumbh mela uses this mode of transportation. It is life line of India. Indian railways will seen its optimum limit at the time of this grand festival when

Here is list of trains from Allahabad to other cities. Here 1A, 2A , 3A and SL(non AC sleeper ) are classes

Train at a glance at Allahabad
Days	Stn. To	Dep.	Arr.	Train No.	Train Name	Train No.	Arr.	Dep.	Stn. To	days
Sat	Pune	7:48	7:20	11033	Dbg Pune Exp	11034	15:50	16:20	Darbhanga	Thur
Sun	Pune	1:02	0:30	11038	Gkp-Pune Exp	11037	15:50	16:20	Gorakhpur	Fri
Tue	C.Sahu T	0:30	1:02	11046	Dikshabhumi	11045	1:00	1:25	Danbad	Sun
Tue,Wed,Fri,Sun	LokmanyaTilak	17:10	16:40	11056	Godan Exp.	11055	9:40	10:15	Gorakhpur	Mon,Tue,Thur,Sat
Mon,Thur,Sat	LokmanyaTilak	17:10	16:40	11060	Godan Exp.	11059	9:40	10:15	Chapra	Wed,Fri,Sun
Mon,Tue,Thur,Sat	LokmanyaTilak	3:15	2:45	11062	Mfp-Ltt Exp.	11061	10:40	11:05	Muzaffarpur	Tue,thur,Sat,Sun
Wed,Fri,Sun	LokmanyaTilak	3:15	2:45	11066	Dbg-Ltt Exp.	11065	10:40	11:05	Darbhanga	Mon,Wed,Fri
Thur,Sun	LokmanyaTilak	21:08	20:35	11068	Saket Exp	11067	3:50	4:15	Rae Bareily	Thur,Sun
Mon,Wed	LokmanyaTilak	16:15	Starts	11070	Tulsi Exp.	11069	8:50	Ends	Allahabad	Mon,Wed
All	LokmanyaTilak	19:45	19:20	11072	Kamayani	11071	15:30	16:05	Varanasi	All
All	Mumbai CST	15:10	14:40	11094	Mahanagri	11093	0:15	0:45	Varanasi	All
Mon	Jhansi	1:15	1:10	11105	pratham S.S.	11106	3:55	4:00	Kolkata	Sat
All	Gwalior	22:25	22:00	11108	Bundelkhand	11107	6:45	7:10	Varanasi	All
All	Pune	5:35	5:10	12150	Pune Patna	12149	21:05	21:35	Patna	All
Tue,Fri,Sat	LokmanyaTilak	23:32	23:00	12166	Ratnagiri Exp	12165	3:50	4:15	Varanasi	Tue,Fri,Sat
Mon,Wed,Thur	Gwalior	8:12	7:45	12175	Chambal Exp	12176	16:45	17:20	Howrah	Tue,Thur,Sat
Sat	Mathura	8:12	7:45	12177	Chambal Exp	12178	16:45	17:20	Howrah	Mon
Fri	New Delhi	3:44	3:42	12249	Yuva Exp	12250	23:08	23:10	Howrah	sun
Tue,Thur,Sat	New Delhi	22:40	Starts	12275	Duranto Exp	12276	6:20	Ends	Allahabad	Mon,Thur,Sat
All	Bangalore	2:22	1:50	12296	Sanghmitra	12295	2:00	2:50	Patna	All
expt.Mon	New Delhi	2:45	2:42	12301	Rajdhani	12302	23:42	23:45	Howrah	Expt. Fri
Mon,Tue,Fri,Sat	New Delhi	22:10	21:05	12303	Poorva Exp	12304	2:05	2:10	Howrah	Mon,Thur,Fri,Sun
Mon	New Delhi	2:45	2:42	12305	Rajdhani	12306	23:42	23:45	Howrah	Fri
All	Bikaner	12:15	12:10	12307	Jodhpur Exp	12308	14:00	14:10	Howrah	All
All	New Delhi	0:28	0:25	12309	Rajdhani	12310	23:56	23:59	Patna	All
All	Kalka	9:30	9:20	12311	Kalka Mail	12312	17:20	17:30	Howrah	All
Fri	Udaipur	4:20	4:08	12315	Ananya Exp	12316	22:30	22:40	Sealdah	Mon
All	Mumbai CST	11:42	11:10	12321	Kolkata Mail	12322	20:25	20:58	Howrah	All
Wed,Sat	New Delhi	7:40	7:35	12323	Howrah-NDLS	12324	16:35	16:45	Howrah	Thur,Sun
Tue	New Delhi	4:20	4:08	12349	Bhagalpur Exp	12350	8:50	9:00	Bhagalpur	Wed
Wed,Thur,Sun	New Delhi	22:05	21:55	12381	Poorva Exp	12382	2:20	2:50	Howrah	Tue,Wed,Sat
Thur	Ajmer	1:15	1:10	12395	Ibadat/ziyarat	12396	16:35	16:45	Patna	Fri
All	New Delhi	20:10	20:00	12397	Mahabodhi	12398	22:40	22:48	Gaya	All
All	New Delhi	0:45	0:40	12401	Magadh Exp	12402	5:10	5:20	Islampur	All
All	Mathura	23:30	Starts	12403	Mathura Exp	12404	5:00	Ends	Allahabad	All
All	New Delhi	21:30	Starts	12417	Prayagraj Exp	12418	6:45	Ends	Allahabad	All
expt.Sun	New Delhi	2:55	2:52	12423	Rajdhani	12424	20:39	20:42	Dibrugarh	Expt.Thur,Sun
All	New Delhi	21:00	20:35	12427	Rewa Exp	12428	9:25	9:50	Rewa	All
all	Anand Vihar	11:55	11:50	12487	Seemanchal	12488	16:50	17:00	Jogbani	All
Sat	Bikaner	11:35	11:30	12496	Koa Exp	12495	22:30	22:40	Kolkata	Thur
Wed,Thur,Sun	New Delhi	4:20	4:08	12501	PurvotarSKranti	12502	8:50	9:00	Guahati	Mon,Thur,Fri
All	Anand Vihar	9:40	9:30	12505	North East Exp	12506	15:40	15:52	Guahati	All
Sat	Yaswantpur	1:40	1:15	12540	Yaswantpur Exp	12539	2:10	2:35	Lucknow	Fri
All	New Delhi	22:30	22:05	12559	Shivganga Exp	12560	3:35	4:00	Varanasi	All
All	New Delhi	3:50	3:25	12561	SwatantrtaSExp	12562	5:35	6:00	Darbhanga	All
Wed	LokmanyaTilak	7:00	6:30	12564	Ald-Ltt Exp	12563	11:40	12:05	Faizabad	Tue
Tue, Sat	Anand Vihar	0:55	0:52	12569	Garib Rath Exp	12570	0:17	0:20	Jaynagar	Wed,Sun
Tue,Thur	Chenai	4:40	4:10	12670	Ganga Kaveri	12669	3:50	4:15	Chapra	Mon,Wed
All	Secundrabad	20:48	20:20	12792	secundrabad Ex	12791	10:55	11:25	Patna	All
all	New Delhi	19:45	19:35	12801	Purushotam Ex	12802	7:25	7:35	Puri	All
Tue,Thur,Fri,Sun	New Delhi	7:40	7:35	12815	Puri-Ndls Exp	12816	15:10	15:20	Puri	Mon,Wed,Thur,Sat
Mon,thur,Sat	Anand Vihar	4:45	4:35	12817	Jharkhand Exp	12818	4:20	4:30	Hatia	Tue,Fri,Sun
Tue,wed,Fri	Anand Vihar	5:00	4:35	12873	Jharkhand Exp	12874	4:20	4:50	Hatia	Wed,Thur,Sat
Tue, Sat	New Delhi	3:44	3:42	12877	Garib Rath Exp	12878	23:08	23:10	Ranchi	Wed,Sat
Tue	Gandhidham	11:35	11-:30	12938	Garva Exp	12937	22:30	22:40	Howrah	Sun
Fri	Ahemdabad	5:35	5:30	12942	Ahemdabad Ex	12941	22:30	22:40	Asansol	Wed
Thur,Sat	Ahemdabad	5:35	5:30	12948	Azimabad Exp	12947	21:35	21:45	Patna	Tue,Thur
All	Ajmer	12:40	12:35	12987	Ajmer Exp	12988	2:28	2:43	Sealdah	All
All	Sriganganagar	5:15	5:05	13007	Toofan Exp	13008	22:05	22:15	Howrah	All
All	Delhi	15:30	15:20	13111	Lal Quila Exp	13112	10:45	10:58	Kolkata	All
All	LokmanyaTilak	8:25	7:58	13201	Mumbai Janta	13202	23:55	0:35	Patna	All
All	Anand Vihar	0:00	19:10	14005	Lichchavi Exp	14006	2:30	2:55	Sitamarhi	All
All	Delhi	19:25	19:15	14055	Bramhaputra	14056	8:25	8:35	Dibrugarh	All
All	Delhi	6:35	6:30	14083	Mahananda Ex	14084	17:55	18:05	AlipurDwar	All
All	Dehradun	17:45	Starts	14113	Link Exp	14114	8:10	Ends	Allahabad	All
Tue,Thur,Sun	Haridwar	23:55	Starts	14115	Haridwar Exp	14116	7:45	Ends	Allahabad	Mon,Wed,Fri
All	Meerut	17:45	Starts	14163	Sangam Exp	14164	8:10	Ends	Allahabad	All
All	Lucknow	15:20	15:00	14209	Intercity Exp	14210	11:45	12:00	vindhyachal	All
All	Lucknow	6:00	Starts	14215	Ganga Gomati	14216	22:20	Ends	Allahabad	All
All	Chandigarh	14:15	Starts	14217	Unchahar Exp	14218	11:20	Ends	Allahabad	All
Mon	Rameshwaram	1:02	0:30	14260	Rameshwaram	14259	1:00	1:25	Varanasi	Sat
All	Bareilly	22:15	Starts	14307	Barelliy Exp	14308	5:30		Prayag	all
Wed,Fri,Sun	Bareilly	3:05	2:30	14369	Triveni Exp	14370	20:55	21:25	Singarauli	Mon,Wed,Fri
All	Saharanpur	17:40	Starts	14511	Nauchandi Exp	14512	9:55	Ends	Allahabad	All
All	Kanpur	8:45	8:20	15004	Chaurichaura	15003	20:45	21:10	Gorakhpur	All
All	LokmanyaTilak	16:30	16:00	15018	Kashi Exp	15017	8:10	8:35	Gorakhpur	All
All	Durg	15:40	15:15	15159	Sarnath Exp	15160	12:15	12:55	Chapra	All
Fri,Sun	Bikaner	11:35	11:30	15632	Barmer Exp	15631	21:35	21:45	Guahati	Mon,Wed
Wed	Ernakulam	1:02	0:30	16360	Cochin Exp	16359	1:00	1:25	Patna	Tue
All	Jammutawi	9:05	8:40	18101	Muri Exp	18102	15:30	16:02	Tatanagar	All
Fri,Sun	Durg	22:55	22:10	18202	Durg Exp	18201	10:20	10:45	Gorakhpur	Tue,Sat
Sat	Durg	21:08	20:35	18206	Durg Exp	18205	10:20	10:50	Nautanawa	Fri
Thur	LokmanyaTilak	12:20	11:50	18609	Ranchi-Ltt Exp	18610	15:50	16:20	Ranchi	Sun
Fri	Ajmer	12:50	12:45	18631	Garib Nawaz Ex	18632	10:15	10:25	Ranchi	Sun
Tue,Fri,Sun	Indore	8:12	7:45	19306	Shipra Exp	19305	16:55	17:20	Howrah	Wed,Fri,Sun
Sun	Okha	1:25	0:40	19570	Okha Exp	19569	1:15	2:00	Varanasi	Sat
Mon,Wed,Sat	Khajuraho	22:25	22:00	21108	Khajurao Exp	21107	6:45	7:10	Varanasi	Mon,Wed,Sat
Wed	Pune	7:48	7:20	22132	Gyan Ganga Exp	22131	15:30	16:20	Maduadih	Tue
wed, Fri, Sun	Anand Vihar	0:55	0:52	22405	Garib Rath Exp	22406	0:17	0:20	Bhagalpur	Tue,Thur,Sat
Mon	Anand Vihar	1:25	1:20	22409	Sasaram Exp	22410	3:55	4:00	Sasaram	Sun
Sun	New Delhi	2:55	2:52	22423	Rajdhani	22424	20:39	20:42	Guwahati	Thur
Mon,Tue,Thur,Sat	Bareilly	3:05	2:30	24369	Triveni Exp	24370	20:55	21:55	ShaktiNagar	Tue,thur,Sat,Sun
All	Bareilly	3:05	2:30	84369	Triveni Exp	84370	20:55	21:55	Barwadih Jn	All

WEBSITE www.indianrail.gov.in

Commercialization of Kumbh Mela

September 5, 2012/0 Comments/in Allahabad Kumbh/by admin

The Kumbh Mela is witnessing massive commercialization with the decision of the Uttar Pradesh government to sell the festival’s TV rights to big corporates. The idea is believed to have sought inspiration from the IPL (Indian Premier League) matches which generate huge revenue for their organizers. This year in May, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani sent a letter instructing the local administration to ‘generate revenue by auctioning advertising and telecast rights’ of the mega festival which would see participation of more than 70 million people.

The auctioning of the TV rights to a specific company will lead to the infringement of a pilgrim’s freedom and discretion to capture the divine moments in his or her camera. The attendee would have to pay a heavy charge to the company owning the media rights. This would certainly lead to disappointment and unrest among the participants who would want to capture the memories of the sacred festival. Additionally, the small local news channels would be debarred from telecasting the events of the Mela to its viewers. The decision is bound to impact the lives of the countless participants of the Kumbh Mela at an individual and spiritual level.

Kumbh Mela TV Rights

What is harm in monetizing the Kumbh festival?

The strongest argument against the commercialisation of Kumbh Mela is the fear that it would tarnish the sanctity of the festival. Since Vedic times, people have regarded the festival activities as sacrosanct with God as its pivot. The festival observes the participation of Saints who come from Himalayan caves and other remote parts of the country to bless all the devotees. Monetization of the festival would be seen as an act of disrespect to Vedic tradition and spirituality.

The contemporary government, in their race to hoard money by different kinds of taxation, have lost the faith of the citizens and commercialisation of the festival would bolster their antagonism in the political authorities. Indian history should serve as an example for the current government to stop exploiting Indian culture and the beliefs of Indian to satisfy their vested interests. Various episodes in Indian history such that of King Harshavardana, who lavishly distributed all of his accumulated wealth to the needy and downtrodden such that he returned to his palace in clothes borrowed from his sister, should be looked upon to govern a country in the interest of the people. The story exemplifies the code of conduct of a good ruler which could be aped to safeguard the economic and religious interests of the citizens. Thus religious congregations and pilgrimages like Kumbh Mela should be kept out of the revenue generating compass of the government to preserve the sanctity of the event.

Protest by Saints

The saints from all over the country have come together to oppose the move of Uttar Pradesh government to carry out the new media rights policy enabling auction of exclusive broadcast rights. These saints are worthy of appreciation as they revolted the government’s decision which could have barred enthused shutterbugs from capturing a life time divine experience.

Significance of Mauni Amavasya Snan (Sacred Bath)

September 4, 2012/6 Comments/in Allahabad Kumbh/by admin

Importance of Mauni Amavasya snan (bathing ) at kumbh mela

According to ancient religious scriptures, Mauni Amavasya is the day on which Manu rishi appears in this world millions of years ago. It is believed to be the day when the universe was created. On this day, the Sun and the Moon enters into the Capricorn sign. A vow of complete silence is observed on this day known as Maun Vrat. This vow is assumed to control our senses and engage them into the service of Supreme Lord Narayana. Practising austerities is believed to purify an individual’s existence and observing the vow of silence is apparently the simplest way to do so. The day holds extreme religious importance and taking bath on this day in the holy waters is deemed significant and auspicious.

Procedure of taking bath on Mauni amavasya in kumbh mela

On the pious day of Mauni Amavasya, a believer is expected to meditate and pray to Lord Vishnu. He is likely to pledge against all his mundane and material urges like lust, greed, anger and envy. He may donate articles like food, money and clothes to the needy saints then he can observe the vow of silence. All these procedures are ensued by the ceremonial bath in the waters of the confluence of holy rivers at Allahabad.

Date of Mauni Amavasya for kumbh mela 2013 is 10-Feb-2103

For Kumbh Mela 2015 bathing dates

The day observes the largest gathering of people in a single day as most of the pilgrims plan this day to visit Maha Kumbh because it is a believed that by bathing on this day a person can acquire good karma which thereby helps pursuing a fruitful and religious life.

It is thus highly recommended to the readers of this site to plan and visit the Maha Kumbh festival such that they can witness the grandeur of the highly revered day of Mauni Amavasya.

For further help and latest updates on the mega festival, visit Kumbh mela FaceBook page

Accommodation Rate Comparison at Kumbh Mela in Allahabad

September 2, 2012/18 Comments/in Allahabad Kumbh/by admin

[box] Special Accommodation for Our Visitors. Get your Kumbh Mela accommodation with spiritual organizations or with tour providers at cheaper rates. For details contact us.[/box]

Accommodation Rate Comparison at Kumbh Mela in Allahabad

This post compares the rates of different accommodation facilities for the Kumbh Mela 2013 available on the internet. In reality, only the government can provide accommodation on mela site during the Kumbh Mela and there is no outsourcing of the facilities. So the private agencies reserve accommodation through government agencies and charge their customers with higher rates for the same facilities.

Following is the list of websites found on internet that claim to provide residence during the Maha Kumbh Festival.

Note: These websites may not be associated with the UP Government which provides cottages and dormitories for staying during the festival.

Official Website is UP Tourism

Rates from UP Tourism

Rahi llawart Tourist Bungalow 35 M.G. Marg, Allahabad ph.: 0532-2407440, 2408374 Fax : 0532-2408461 E-mail : rahiilawart@up-tourism.com Kumbh Fair tariff : (Effective from 01 January, 2013 to 10 March, 2013)
Types of Room	Single Occupancy (INR)	Double Occupancy (INR)	Description
Ganga- Yamuna & Saraswati		7000.00	Cold Drink, Mineral Water, Break-fast-Complimentary for two persons
A.C. Deluxe	3300.00	3500.00	Cold Drink, Mineral Water, Bed Tea, Break- fast- Complimentary
A.C. Semi-Deluxe	2800.00	3000.00	Bed Tea-Complimentary
A.C. Economic	2300.00	2500.00
4 Bed		2500.00
Dormitory	500.00 Per Bed

Image of tents

Rahi Triveni Darshan,Yamuna Bank Road, Kydganj, AllahabadPh.:0532-2558646E-mail : rahitrivenialahabad@up-tourism.com Kumbh Fair tariff : (Effective from 01 January, 2013 to 10 March, 2013)
Types of Room	Single Occupancy	Double Occupancy
A.C.Room	Rs. 2000/-	Rs. 2200/-
Non A.C. Room	Rs. 1200/-	Rs. 1400/-
Dormitory	Rs. 250/- Per Bed

Tariff of Tent colony at Kumbh Fair : (Effective from 01 January, 2013 to 10 March, 2013)
Swiss Cottage (Double Occupancy, A.P.Plan)	Rs. 6000.00 per day
Dormitory Cottage	Rs. 500.00 per bed- per day.

RULES FOR BOOKING / CANCELLATION AND REFUND

For reservation 100% advance will be required.
All applicable Taxes will be charged extra.
For Swiss Cottage no refund..

For Rooms:-

15 Days or more	:	90% refundable
10 to 14 Days	:	75% refundable
3 to 9 Days	:	50% refundable
Less than 3 Days	:	No refundable

List of other websites claiming to provide accommodation at Kumbh Mela:

www.kumbhamela.net: This is one of the oldest websites on Kumbh Mela. It may be recognized by Department of Tourism. The site does not mention any rates for cottages or tents one can register through the “Contact our Tour Planner” link and can get the actual details required.
www.kumbhmela.net: This site is identical in name with the first one and provides information on the various types of accommodations available during the Kumbh Mela including the Swiss tents, star rated hotels and dorms. There is not much information on the accommodation prices.
www.kumbhmela.co.in: This is a well-organized website that has a detailed list of type of accommodations and their respective prices. The prices mentioned will be enlisted at the end of the post.
www.mahakumbhyatra.com: This is a newly launched website as compared to the others and provides a platform for easy navigation and access to rates and type of accommodation during the festival.
www.kumbhmelapackages.com: This website is found in the Google Sponsored Ads links. It provides different types of Kumbh Mela packages ranging from 10,000Rs (200$) to 20,000Rs (400$).