The Four Kumbh Sites Compared

We now know that the Kumbh Mela is held at four places: Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain and Nashik-Trimbakeshwar. But if all four of these melas are viewed through the same lens, their distinctiveness is lost. Each place has its own geography, season, deities, nature of its river, tradition of priests and shadow of history. In Haridwar the Ganga descends from the Himalaya into the plains, in Prayagraj two rivers meet, in Ujjain the Kshipra flows encircling the city and in Nashik-Trimbakeshwar the Godavari comes forward out of the hills and passes through the middle of the city.