Kumbh Mela
/ˈkʊm.bʱ ˈmeɪ.lɑː/noun
A major Hindu pilgrimage and festival held at rotating sacred river sites in India.
Did you know?The name combines Sanskrit kumbha (“pot”) with mela (“gathering/fair”), and the festival’s fame comes from the mythic pot of amrita, the nectar of immortality, said to have spilled at sacred sites.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
kumbha
“pot, pitcher, jar”
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mela
“gathering, fair, meeting”
Classical Sanskrit/Hindu tradition
Sanskrit
Kumbha Mela
“the ceremonial gathering associated with the Kumbha myth and sacred bathing”
Medieval/early modern Indian usage
Prakrit/Hindi
Kumbh Mela
“a religious fair or pilgrimage gathering”
Modern English
English
Kumbh Mela
“the Hindu pilgrimage festival held at rotating sacred river sites”
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