The Haridwar Kumbh Mela takes place at a special astrological moment when the Sun enters Aries and the Jupiter enters Aquarius. This planetary position is believed to purify the waters of Ganga at a particular point called Har Ki Pauri on the banks of Ganga in Haridwar. The water of Ganga at that place is believed to turn into nectar during those days. Millions of believers flock to Har Ki Pauri to purify their souls through the sacred bathing rituals. The position of the planets during the Kumbh Mela is believed to be good for meditation and concentration. Ardh Kumbh and Kumbh Mela are two festivals that attract the maximum number of pilgrims to Haridwar.
The Ardh Kumbh Mela takes place every six years alternately at Haridwar and <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Allahabad</st1lace></st1:City>. The Purna Kumbh Mela takes place only at <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Allahabad</st1:City></st1lace> every twelve years. Then there is the Maha Kumbh Mela which comes after every 12 Purna Kumbh Melas. This means the Purna Kumbh Mela takes place once every 144 years. By tradition, the Purna Kumbh Mela too is only held at <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Allahabad</st1:City></st1lace>. For those who are interested, the next Ardh Kumbh Mela is going to be held at Haridwar one year from now, during March- April 2010. This will be followed by the Maha Kumbh Mela at <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Allahabad</st1:City></st1lace> from January 27<SUP>th</SUP> to February 25<SUP>th</SUP> 2013.
