Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: How To Go From Karnataka

The Kumbh Mela is held in four places where Amrit is believed to have fallen from the Heavens
Bathing at the Confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati is the most important ritual.

The Kumbh Mela is a unique festival held once every 12 years in Prayagraj, Nashik, Haridwar and Ujjain. The event sees millions of religious saints and sadhus, as well as people from ordinary walks of life, congregate in one place.

The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 will take place from January 13 to February 26, spanning 45 days. This grand event is held at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Maha Kumbh Mela is the world’s largest spiritual gathering and occurs once every 144 years. It is particularly significant as it marks the completion of 12 Kumbh Mela cycles, which is why it is called the Maha Kumbh Mela.

During this extraordinary occasion, millions of people gather to immerse themselves in the sacred waters of the Triveni Sangam, where the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati converge. The immersion at the confluence of these holy rivers is believed to absolve people of their sins to attain moksha or liberation.

The Story Behind The Kumbh Mela

According to Hindu mythology, the Kumbh Mela originated from the story of a curse by the Durvasa Muni on the Demigods. When the Demigods lost their strength because of the curse they approached Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma for help.

They were advised to turn to Lord Vishnu who asked them to churn the Ksheer Sagar or ocean of milk. This would help them get the ‘Amrit’ needed to regain their strength.

The task was a difficult one. Since the Demigods could not do it alone, they asked the Demons for help. The Demons agreed on the condition that they would receive half the ‘Amrit’. When the sea was being churned, 14 unique things were found. This included:

Amrit
Poison
Kamdhenu (a wish-fulfilling Cow)
A Conch
Uchchaihshravas (A White Horse)
Sura (Alcohol)
Airavat (An elephant with four tusks)
Goddess Lakshmi (Lord Vishnu’s Consort)
Koustubha mani (A diamond)
Devanganas
Parijat Kalpavruksha (A wish-fulﬁlling tree)
Som (Moon)
Haridhanu (A Divine bow)
Dhanwantari

The Gods feared that drinking Amrit would make the Demons immortal and thus when the pot of Amrit appeared, Jayant, the son of Lord Indra was told to take the Amrit away. This led to a battle that raged for 12 days and 12 nights.

It is believed that one of these days is equivalent to 1 year. During the battle, a few drops of the Amrit fell to the earth in Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain.

So, once in every 12 years, a Kumbh Mela is held in each of these places. In addition to this, the Maha Kumbh Mela is held once in every 144 years at Prayagraj.

Types of Kumbh

The Kumbh Mela is held once every three years in the Ganges in Haridwar, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati in Prayagraj, the Godawari in Nashik and the Shipra in Ujjain by rotation. At any one given place, the Kumbh Mela is held at intervals of 12 years.

Apart from this, there are three other types of Kumbh.

The Ardha Kumbh Mela: This is held in Haridwar and Prayagraj once in 6 years.
The Purna Kumbh Mela: This is held only at Prayagraj once in every 12 years.
The Maha Kumbh Mela: This is held only in Prayagraj once in every 144 years.

Who Attends The Kumbh Mela

The Kumbh Mela attracts people from all sections of the Hindu society. Members of various religious denominations make up the majority of the gathering. This includes the naga sadhus, hermits, priests, members of various religious organizations and their disciples.

Kumbh Mela Rituals

Bathing in the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers is the main ritual associated with the Kumbh Mela. While the Ganga and Yamuna rivers can be seen by the naked eye, the Saraswati is believed to be an invisible river that surfaces only during the Kumbh when sacred hymns are chanted.

This is accompanied by other religious activities such as the feeding of holy men and women, religious assemblies and discussions and pujas.

Bathing At The Kumbh Mela

During each Kumbh Mela, millions of devotees take a dip in the confluence or Sangam. This is a sacred ceremony that is believed to purge one of all the sins committed and to release the individual and their ancestors from the cycle of rebirth so that they can attain Moksha.

People may take a dip in the water on any day of the Mela, but there are some days that are considered especially auspicious. On these days, the religious men and women and their devotees are the first to enter the water.

Devotees perform this ritual with a great procession and a lot of fanfare. The general public can enter the water only after the Sadhus and their disciples have completed their dip.

The auspicious Shahi Snan (Amrit Snan) dates during Maha Kumbh Mela 2025

Date	Events for Shahi Snan
January 13th, 2025	Paush Purnima Snan
January 14th, 2025	Makarasankaranti
January 29th, 2025	Mauni Amavasya
February 3rd, 2025	Basant Panchami
February 12th, 2025	Maghi Purnima
February 26th, 2025	Maha Shivratri

The Aarti

During the Kumbh Mela, an Aarti is held every morning and evening on the river banks. This is performed to show devotion to the rivers which are believed to be lifelines for humans. The gathering at these aartis often reaches several thousand people.

On special days, lakhs of visitors may take part in the aartis. The lamps used for these aartis are considered to represent the panchtatva. While the flames of these lamps signify bowing down to the sacred rivers, the fumes emanating from these lamps symbolize the mysticism of heaven.

The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 – Here’s What You Need to Know

A visit to the Kumbh Mela isn’t just about taking a dip in the Sangam. You must also arrange transportation to and from the Mela, your stay and other administrative details. Read on to find out more.

Though the Kumbh Mela has a spiritual heart, it does have a noticeable economic impact.

Interesting Statistics Of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025

The Budget for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025	Rs.7,500 crores
Expected revenue	Rs 2,00,000
Number of Pilgrims expected	450 million devotees
Number of foreign pilgrims expected	15 lakh foreign tourists

Infrastructure set up by the UP Government for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025

The Uttar Pradesh government has spent more than 70 billion on infrastructure and sanitation projects for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 will be equipped with advanced firefighting vehicles in case of fire occurrences.
The Uttar Pradesh government has involved 500 Ganga Praharis to keep the river clean during the Maha Kumbh Mela.
Eighty-three projects around the Kumbh Mela area have been estimated at around Rs.1428.68 crores.
The Mahakumbh Mela 2025 app has been released with important information, such as the location of ghats, temples, etc., to assist tourists and pilgrims. Furthermore, AI and Chatbot tools are used for the benefit of tourists.
The Prayagraj Mela Authority has installed around 150,000 toilets and urinals in the Kumbh Mela area. Also, it has engaged 10,000 sanitation workers to ensure cleanliness during the Kumbh Mela.
The state government has deputed around 407 doctors and more than 700 paramedical staff.
24-hour medical facilities have been organised with specialised care for women and children.
A temporary 100-bed central hospital is also set up.

How To Reach Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 From Karnataka

Eight regular and special trains are operating to reach Prayagraj. In addition, the South Western Railway is operating more services from Bengaluru for devotees from Karnataka.

Trains that connect Bengaluru to Prayagraj

12295 SMVT Bengaluru-Danapur Daily Express
22354 SMVT Bengaluru-Patna Weekly Humsafar Express
22352 SMVT Bengaluru-Pataliputra Weekly Express
12578 Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Weekly Express
22683 Yeshwantpur-Lucknow Weekly Express
12539 Yeshwantpur-Lucknow Weekly Express
22687 Mysuru-Varanasi Bi-weekly Express
06509 KSR Bengaluru-Danapur Weekly Humsafar Express

Furthermore, on Jan 18th, Feb 15th, and Mar 1st, the 06207 Mysuru-Danapur Kumbh Mela Special will run. Also, train 06208 will operate in the return direction on Jan 22nd, Feb 19th, and Mar 5th. The SWR has already operated four special trains from Bengaluru and Mysuru for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.

Flights that connect Bengaluru to Prayagraj

Indigo, Air India, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet will operate special flights from Bengaluru to Prayagraj from Jan 12th to Feb 28th for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.

The best way to reach Prayagraj from Bengaluru is by direct flight, which takes about two and a half hours. However, the cheapest way to reach Prayagraj from Bengaluru is by train.

Where to stay in Maha Kumbh Mela 2025?

There are a number of places for people to stay at Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. They can accommodate themselves in hotels, dharamshalas, ashrams, homestays and luxury tents.

Here are some of the tented accommodations.