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Mahakumbh Mela vs Kumbh Mela: What Makes Them Different?

Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, one of the most awaited spiritual events on everyone’s calendar at Prayagraj, is just around the corner! The Kumbh Mela 2025 important dates are from 13th January to 26th February. The Mahakumbh Mela attracts millions of devotees to grow their spirituality and wash away sins to escape the never-ending cycle of rebirth. Isn’t it called the Kumbh Mela?

If you’re wondering why millions of pilgrims hop on flights to Prayagraj to participate in this pilgrimage when it happens quite frequently, you’re confusing the Mahakumbh 2025 Prayagraj with the Kumbh Mela. You can attend the Mahakumbh event only once in a lifetime, as it will arrive after 144 years, whereas the Kumbh Mela arrives every 3 years! Still confused? Here is a short guide showing the Kumbh and Mahakumbh difference!

Types of Kumbh Melas

Haridwar Kumbh Mela in 2021
Image credit: Shutterstock/MudaCom

Everyone’s attention is currently on the Mahakumbh Mela, but did you know there are many kinds of Kumbh Melas in India to attend? None are as grand as the Mahakumbh, but they can be visited multiple times in your lifetime, as they have a shorter year gap. Here are the five types of Kumbh Mela:

Magh Mela: Organized yearly in January or February.
Kumbh Mela: Organized every three years on the river banks of Haridwar, Nashik, Ujjain, or Prayagraj.
Ardh Kumbh Mela: Organized every six years, held at Haridwar or Prayagraj.
Purna Kumbh Mela: Organized every twelve years, held at Haridwar, Nashik, Ujjain, or Prayagraj.
Maha Kumbh Mela: Organized once every 144 years, the Mahakumbh Mela is a once-in-a-lifetime event always held at Prayagraj. The pilgrimage only happens once the twelve cycles of the Purna Kumbh Mela are complete, which means the last Mahakumbh Mela was more than a century ago!

If you also want to be a part of this unique opportunity that won’t arrive again in your lifetime, read: A Guide to Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj: Everything to Know!

Location of Mahakumbh vs Kumbh Mela

Pilgrims bathing in the Godavari River at Nashik during the Kumbh Mela of 2015
Image credit: Shutterstock/CRS PHOTO

The Mahakumbh 2025 date location is fixed compared to the ever-changing Kumbh Mela locations since it attracts millions of pilgrims and tourists from all over the globe since it’s a rarer and more powerful event. Maha Kumbh 2025 and all the following Mahakumbh Mela in the coming centuries will be at Prayagraj, where the Ganga, Saraswati, and Yamuna rivers meet. The meeting point is also known as the Triveni Sangham. Prayagraj is also the Kumbh Mela 2025 date and place for the year the pilgrimage spot is decided at this location.

The Shahi Snan will be hosted at the Ganges if the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage ends at Haridwar, the River Shipra if it ends at Ujjain, and the River Godavari if the pilgrimage goes up to Nashik. If you’re flying from abroad, you can hop on a cheap flight to Delhi and take other means of transportation from there to get to the location of the pilgrimage.

Most pilgrims and tourists find accommodation at the temporary tent city, so it is recommended to book your accommodation in advance from the Mahakumbh 2025 official website. Depending on the kind of tent you choose, the Maha Kumbh Mela tent booking can cost you anywhere between Rs.10,000 and Rs.20,000.

Also read: Top Places to Visit in Prayagraj!

Religious Significance Differences

Pilgrims taking a Shahi Snan at Prayagraj in 2019.
Image credit: Shutterstock/Hari Mahidhar

The Mahakumbh Mela promises every pilgrim participating in the events, especially in the Snan, deep spiritual benefits that will help them attain salvation once they break away from the never-ending cycle of rebirth. Pilgrims will finally attain Moksha as all their sins and souls are purified once they dip themselves in the holy waters, where the elixir of immortality, Amrit, fell on earth. You can make the most of your experience by visiting with the various all inclusive Maha Kumbh Mela tour packages!

The blessings and diving energy are considerably more potent during the Mahakumbh Mela because it is such a rare celebration. However, pilgrims can still receive these divine gifts from the Gods during the Kumbh Mela, but the blessings are not considered to be as powerful as the Mahakumbh Mela.

Scale & Budget of the Mela

Naga Sadhus lining up for a dip at the Kumbh Mela in 2018.
Image credit: Shutterstock/prabhat kumar verma

Since the Mahakumbh Mela is such a rare event, you can expect to find millions of Indians and foreigners gathering in Prayagraj (Allahabad) to get blessings and immerse themselves in the religious culture of India right from the Mahakumbh 2025 start date. Considering the estimated crowd of around 400 million, the budget must also match. For the Prayagraj MahaKumbh 2025, about Rs.6,382 crores have been allotted towards preparation for the pilgrimage.

The Kumbh Mela is not as rare as the 144-year Mahakumbh; however, a sizeable budget of Rs.4,200 crores was allotted to the Kumbh Mela in 2019! You will have to get through crowds of millions of pilgrims at the Kumbh Mela, but never as much as the Mahakumbh crowding. Book the best hotels in Prayagraj in advance to stay close to where the events are being organized on a budget!

The Mahakumbh Mela is so much bigger than the Kumbh Mela that the UP Police is working with cyber experts to ensure that all devotees remain safe from scams and can enjoy the most spiritual visit to the pilgrimage.

So, when are you planning to visit the soul-healing pilgrimage of Maha Kumbh Mela Prayagraj 2025? We hope you’ll be going soon! Let the Mahakumbh 2025 Pilgrimage guide you towards a spiritual life for a brilliant year!

FAQs- Mahakumbh Mela and Kumbh Mela Difference

What is the difference between Purna Kumbh and Mahakumbh?
Purna Kumbh is a pilgrimage that happens every 12 years and can be hosted at Prayagraj, Ujjain, Haridwar, or Nashik. The Mahakumbh Mela takes place every 144 years, and its events are only held at Prayagraj.

What is special about Kumbh Mela 2025?
The Mahakumbh Mela 2025 is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime event that happens every 144 years.

Why Kumbh every 12 years?
Since Jupiter takes 12 years to orbit around the Sun, the Purna Kumbh Mela happens every 12 years.

What happens every 144 years?
Every 144 years the pilgrimage of Mahakumbh Mela takes place at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

What are the 4 places of Mahakumbh?
Mahakumbh is only held at Prayagraj, but the Kumbh Mela is held at Prayagraj, Ujjain, Nashik, or Haridwar.

Which God is in Kumbh Mela?
The Kumbh Mela is held to pray to God Vishnu.

When was the last Maha Kumbh?
Since the Maha Kumbh happens every 144 years, the last pilgrimage would fall in 1881.

What is Purna Kumbh?
Purna Kumbh arrives every 12 years once Jupiter completes an orbit of the Sun. This celebration is held at Haridwar, Prayagraj. Ujjain, or Nashik on the banks of the holy rivers.

How many types of Kumbh are there?
There are five types of Kumbh- Magh Kumbh, Kumbh Mela, Purna Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh, and Maha Kumbh.

Which is the best Kumbh Mela?
The Kumbh Mela organized at Prayagraj is the best, followed by the Haridwar Mela.

What is the difference between Kumbh and Simhastha?
Kumbh and Simhastha are the names of the same pilgrimage; however, it is only called the Simhastha Kumbh when the pilgrimage is organized at Ujjain. It gets its name from the alignment of the planet Jupiter in Leo, known as Simha in Hindi.

What is the difference between Ardh Kumbh and Mahakumbh?
Ardh Kumbh happens every six years, whereas Mahakumbh is a once-in-144-year event.

What is the new name of Purna?
There is no new name for Purna Kumbh; however, people usually think it’s the same as Maha Kumbh.

What is the symbol of Purna Kumbha?
The Purna Kumbha is symbolized by a pot filled with water, and coconut and mango leaves are used for decoration. The Purna Kumbha is an important part of every Hindu ritual.

Which state is Mahakumbh 2025?
The Mahakumbh 2025 will be organized at Prayagraj.

What is the world’s largest festival?
The largest festival in the world is the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, but the Mahakumbh Mela in India comes close.

Which city does not hold Kumbh Mela?
None of the cities besides Prayagraj, Ujjain, Nashik, or Haridwar hold the Kumbh Mela.

Do people get lost in Kumbh Mela?
Yes, people tend to get lost at the Mela because of the excess crowding. You can easily find someone by going to the Announcements area or the 1920 Center. The Center will assist lost individuals with locating their families using AI technology.

Why is Mahakumbh celebrated?
Mahakumbh is celebrated after 12 Purna Kumbh Melas, commemorating the positioning of Jupiter under Leo.

What are the 4 places of Kumbh?
The Kumbh Mela is organized at Prayagraj, Ujjain, Haridwar, or Nashik.

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Next Read: A Guide to Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj: Everything you need to know »

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