One of the biggest festivals marked in India is soon approaching. While different states are observing their harvest season festivals in the country, it also marks the onset of Kumbh Mela. The largest religious festival and pilgrimage sees not thousands but about millions of people gathering together to take a dip in the holy waters of river Ganga. The Hindu festival is celebrated in a cycle of 12 years at four holy river banks at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain. This year Kumbh Mela 2021 will be at Hardiwar and it begins on January 14, the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. There are significant days of Shahi Snan on which people take a dip into the holy Ganges. In this article, we tell you all about this celebration and the dates of Shahi Ganga Snan. Kumbh Mela 2021: Sri Saradapeetham to Offer Food, Hold Medical Camps for Pilgrims in Haridwar.

Kumbh Mela 2021 Shahi Snan Dates

14th January, Thursday: Makar Sankranti

11th February, Thursday: Mauni Amavasya

16th February, Tuesday: Basant Panchami

27th February, Saturday: Maghi Poornima

11th March, Thursday Mahashivratri  First Shahi Snan

12th April, Monday: Somvati Amamvasya - Second Shahi Snan

13th April, Tuesday: Chaitra Shukla Pratipada

14th April, Wednesday: Baishakhi - Third Shahi Snan

21st April, Wednesday: Ram Navami

27th April, Tuesday: Chaitra Purnima - Fourth Shahi Snan

So the main dates of Shahi Snan are the festive days of Mahashivratri (March 11), Somvati Amavasya (April 12), Baisakhi (April 14) and Chaitra Purnima (April 27).

Kumbh Mela Shahi Snan Significance

The mass gathering of Kumbh Mela essentially sees the practice of people taking a dip into the waters of Ganges river, or at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. The Shahi Snan has much significance because there's a belief that taking a dip into the holy waters will rid a person of their sins. Taking a dip in the holy waters will also release the person and their ancestors from rebirth and attainment of Moksha. Kumbh Mela 2021: 35–50 Lakh People Could Take Daily Dip in Ganga, Says Uttarakhand Minister Madan Kaushik.

Kumbh Mela Celebrations

Kumbh Mela is such a festival that has attracted even foreign tourists to just experience the vibe around the river Ganga during these months and on days of Shahi Snan. The festival is marked by a ritual dip in the waters, but there are other celebrations too that involve the tourists and community. There are numerous fairs, religious discourses by saints, mass feedings of monks or the poor, and entertainment programmes. The pilgrimage goes on for months, but the days of Amavasya attracts largest number of visitors.

Because of COVID-19 pandemic, the celebrations will largely differ this time around. The Utarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has launched an awareness campaign in Haridwar. This year, the number of people in attendance will be restricted to deal with the pandemic situation and avoid further spread of coronavirus.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 13, 2021 03:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).