Kumbh Mela is traditionally linked to the legend of the Samudra Manthana. According to later traditions, drops of amrita spilled at four sites—Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik—each located along a sacred river. In many retellings, Mohini, an enchanting celestial dancer, carried the kumbha (pot) of nectar away from the demons, and drops spilled at these locations. Other versions attribute the journey of the vessel to figures such as Dhanvantari, god of Ayurveda, or Garuda, Vishnu’s mount. Kumbh Mela, held in rotation at these four cities, commemorates this mythic event, and pilgrims bathe in the rivers during astrologically auspicious periods in the belief that the waters possess purifying powers.
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