Kumbh and all other festivals have two distinct aspects: (i) Calenderical basis for choosing the dates, and (ii) beliefs, faith, rituals, and other practices associated with the celebration. My concern here is strictly with the first, that is the astronomical, aspect. To sum up, I think probably the Haridwar spring equinoctial festival and certainly the Allahabad winter solstice festival did not have any Jupiter connection to begin with. Nashik, it seems, responded to Jupiter in Aquarius at Hardwar by celebrating Jupiter’s arrival in Leo. Ujjain imitated Simhasth celebrations following Nashik. The biggest congregation of all, the Prayag Kumbh, is the most recent, and Kumbh only in the sense of 12-yearly celebration., Curiously, in none of the Kumbh melas, no ritual seems to be associated with Jupiter in the religious/ ritual ceremonies

1. Astronomical basis of the Kumbh
Rajesh Kochhar
Mathematics Department,
Panjab University, Chandigarh160014
rkochhar2000@gmail.com
Panjab University 27 Feb 2019
1

2. Kumbh and all other festivals have two distinct
aspects: (i) Calenderical basis for choosing the
dates, and (ii) beliefs, faith, rituals, and other
practices associated with the celebration.
My concern here is strictly with the first, that is the
astronomical, aspect.
2

3. As students of modern astronomy, we know
that the Solar System is located in the
outskirts of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Sun is
at the centre of the system and the planets go
around it. The Solar System is an extremely
thin disk. If we look at it from above, we will
see all planets moving in an anti-clockwise
direction.
3

4. In earlier times, the model of the universe was
a simplistic one, based on the principle of
seeing-is-believing. The Earth was at the centre.
Seven geocentric planets, Moon, Mercury,
Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, in order
of their increasing orbital period, went around
the Earth. The Sun and the Moon were
particularly important because of their large
size and domination over day and night
respectively. The stars were seen as mere bright
fixed dots on the dark tapestry of the night sky.
4

5. In a geo-centric, anthropo-centric world, it was
assumed that the Creator would keep in touch
with the Earthians, through the planetary
motions. Ritual was a means of securing divine
approval and support for terrestrial actions. To
be effective, the ritual had to be elaborate, with
clear distinction between the auspicious and
inauspicious.. As astronomy advanced, so did
the ritual .
5

6. In very ancient period, in Vedang Jyotish,
Ashok’s edicts, and the Mahabharat text, the
position of the Sun and Moon is marked with
respect to the nakshatras in the background.
2000 years ago nobody in India had heard of
zodiac or week-days . The vast Mahabharat
text, to which additions were made over a
extended period of time, is believed to have
been closed by 400 AD. It does not mention
either the zodiacal signs or week-days which
however appear as integral part of Indian
astronomy onwards from Aryabhata’s work
(499 AD).
6

7. The zodiac is an imaginaty narrow belt in the
sky meant to serve as background for
planetary orbits. Since a solar year contains 12
lunations, the zodiac is divided into 12 equal
parts called signs or rashi’s. Sun’s ingress into
a rashi is called Sankranti (Sangrad in Punjabi).
A Sankranti is a theoretical construct and
cannot be observed in the sky.
7

8. • From very ancient times, in various civilizations,
four points, or colures, in the apparent solar
orbit have been recognized as greatly significant:
winter solstice, spring equinox, and summer
solstice. Of these winter solstice (uttarayan) and
spring equinox are particularly important. Lorhi
and Baisakhi are Sangrad festivals respectively
related to winter solstice and spring equinox.
8

9. In the Mahabharata, Bhishma is on the death bed
but refuses to die till the Sun comes to winter
Solstice.
Christmas, Gregorian New Year (1 Jan.), and Lorhi
(13/14 Jan.) come together because they are all
related to Winter Solstice
9

10. 10
• The basic unit of the Vikrami calendar is a
lunation, that is a lunar month going from one
amavasya or poornima to the next. A lunation is
divided into two fortnights, known as paksh. Each
paksh is divided into 15 unequal parts known as
tithi. The fortnight from new moon to full moon is
called Shukl because the nights become
progressively brighter.

11. • The fortnight from full moon to new moon is called
Krishn paksh because the nights are now being
darker. Amavasya and poornima are of special
significance, while there are other important
festivals assigned to different tithis: panchami,
ashtami, navami, ekadashi, etc. Shukl and Krishn
(Bahul) paksh are abbreviated as sudi and badi in
the panchang.
11

12. • A solar year is made up of 12 Sankrantis or 365
days. A Vikrami year however is a luni-solar
year. It keeps lunar months like Hijri calendar,
but does not deviate much from solar seasons.
It cannot have 365 days because its building
block is a lunar month. It can consist of either
12 lunations (354 days) or 13 lunations (383
days). There are only 12 month names. Once a
while a month is repeated. At times a month
may be deleted and another repeated so that
the number still remains 12.
12

13. • Normally, a new month is taken to begin with
amavasya (amanta), but in some systems
poornima is taken to be the beginning.
• The first month (Chaitra) is so chosen that
spring equinox falls in it. The spring navaratras,
ending with Ramanavami, mark the beginning
of the year.
13

14. • The holidays for Ram Navami and Good Friday
come so close together because they both are
related to spring equinox.
• Punjab Government List of holidays, 2019
• 13 Apr: Ram Navami
• 19 Apr: Good Friday
14

15. JUPITER
• Apart from the Sun and the Moon, Jupiter is
the only planet with whose orbit celebrations
are associated. Its importance arises from the
fact that its orbital period is about 12 years
which is a convenient period in human affairs.
Saturn, e. g., has a period of 30 long years.
• While the Sun spends a month in a rashi,
Jupiter spends a year.
15

16. • For some reason, Jupiter is associated with the
Kumbh rashi. The reason may well lie in Greek
mythology. In Greek mythology, Jupiter (Zeus)
is connected with Ganymede. Ganymede was a
boy well-known for his beauty. Zeus took him
to Mt Olympus to serve as cup-bearer for gods.
Subsequently Ganymede became the
constellation Aquarius, the cup-bearer. When
zodiacal signs were introduced into India, the
bearer was removed and only the cup retained
as Kumbh.
16

17. • Jupiter ingress into a rashi is kalled Pushkaram,
and is associated with river-worship.
• The term Kumbh has come to be used in two
distinct senses. Kumbh denotes not only the
rashi and the celebrations associated with it.
But the term has also come to denote any 12-
year celebration connected with Jupiter
17

18. • At present, the Kumbh mela is celebrated on four
river sides: Haridwar (on river Ganga), Nashik-
Trimbak (Godavari), Ujjain (Kshipra), and Prayag
(Ganga-Yamuna). Its primary purpose is a ritual
bath in the river on select dates.
18

19. Allahabad celebrated a Kumbh mela in 2013 and
will be doing so again in 2025.
Half-way through, that is this year (2019), an
Ardh-Kumbh is being celebrated. It is being
marketed not as what it is that is Ardh-Kumbh, but
as full-Kumbh.
This is wrong. It is as if by executive order, Jupiter’s
orbital period is reduced from 12 to 6 years.
19

20. • Allahabad Kumbh mela has been inscribed by
UNESCO on its representative list of Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity, noting that it is
the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims
on earth. But it does not appear to be a very
old event. It has been declared on official
websites and elsewhere that the Prayag
Kumbh is thousands of years old. Very vaguely,
it has been said that such and such Puran refer
to it, but no reference is given, no passage is
quoted. In fact here is no basis for such
statements.
20

21. They are the result of wishful thinking rather than
any documentary evidence. Indian tradition has
been oral and fluid. The type of chronological
information we look for these days is unlikely to be
available.
Scholars of literature may be able to help. If we
look at poets and story tellers of earlier years, is
there any reference to Kumbh?
21

22. There is no doubt that the Maghi mela at Allahabad
is a truly ancient institution. It begins on Makar
Sankranti (this year, 15 Jan.) and celebrates
Uttarayan. Every 12 years, when Jupiter is in
Vrishabh rashi (Taurus) or in the neighbouring Aries
(Mesh), the Maghi mela is marked as Kumbh.
Curiously, the programme for the Kumbh mela is
the same as for Maghi mela. There does not seem to
be anything specially connected with Jupiter even
though it is called Kumbh mela! It has been argued
on the basis of available records that in 1870,
Allahabad maghi mela was enhanced by declaring it
to be
22

23. The primary activity at all Kumbh/ Ardh-
Kumbhs is the ritualistic bath, which is called
Shahi Snan. The term is curious. While Snan is
a Sanskrit word, Shahi, meaning Royal, is
Persian. This suggests that at least the present
ritual cannot be very old.
• Let us look at the ritual dates associated with
the Maghi mela and Kumbh mela at Prayag.
23

24. Prayag Magh mela Prayag Kumbh mela
2018 2019
2 Jan: Paush Purnima
14 Jan: Makar Sankranti 15 Jan: Makar Sankranti
21 Jan: Paush Purnima
16 Jan: Mauni Amavasya 4 Feb: Mauni Amavasya
22 Jan: Basant Panchami 10 Feb: Basant Panchami
31 Jan: Magh Purnima 19 Feb: Magh Purnima
13 Feb: Maha Shivratri 04 Mar: Maha Shivratri 24

25. Note that auspicious dates are the same in the
two cases. No new ritual is added to the
earlier Maghi mela in honour of Jupiter in the
Kumbh mela.
Strictly speaking, the Haridwar Kumbh is the
only Kumbh, because here Jupiter is actually
in Kumbh rashi.
25

26. Haridwar Ardh-Kumbh, 2016
• 8 Apr: Amavasya
• 14 Apr: Mesha Sankranti
• 15 Apr: Ram Navami
• 22 Apr: Chaitra Purnima
• Note that all celebrations are connected with
either the Sun or the Moon, not with Jupiter!
26

27. Half way through its orbital journey from Aquarius
to Aquarius, that is after six years, Jupiter enters
Leo ( Simha ) rashi. This is the occasion for two
Simhasth festivals, one at Nahik-Trimbak sites, and
the other at Ujjain.
Since Jupiter stays in a rashi for one year, the
separation between the two melas will be less
than 12 months. For Nashik fair, Sun is also in Leo,
while for Ujjain, it is in the first rashi, Aries. ( Note
that the prescription given by P V Kane in his
monumental History of Dharmasastra (Vol 5,p.
287) is different.
27

28. The following is a picture taken from Internet. It
has one defect. It should have listed the rashis in
an anti-clock direction. Look at the panels in the
following order: Haridwar, Nashik, Ujjain, Prayag.
28

29. 29

30. COLONIAL and MISSIONARY EXOTICISM
and its REVIVAL
When Kumbh mela was celebrated in colonial
times, the rulers and Christian missionaries took
note of it for their own reasons. The colonialists
were concerned with violence at the
congregation for priority battle between
different akharas for Shahi Snan as well as for
reasons of public health (spread of cholera).
Missionaries attended the fairs and wrote
accounts from their the point of view of looking
at Hindu practices with disdain. 30

31. For the missionaries and their readers, Kumbh
congregation and rituals had an exotic (and erotic)
value, with naked and other Sadhus presenting a
curious spectacle.
In recent years, even in independent India, this
exoticism has been incorporated into their own
scheme of things by the organizers for touristic
purposes. Media and official coverage even by
Indians tends to present Kumbh as a video
opportunity.
31

32. ERROR in Calendar
It is not often realized that the Vikrami calendar
has a wrong year length so that calculated
positions on the sky have no connection with
the actual observations. The accumulated error
now is about 23 days and goes on increasing.
Makar Sankranti on 15 Jan. is celebrated as
Uttarayan which actually had already occurred
on 22/23 Dec. 1500 years ago, Makar Samkarnti
would have coincided with Winter Solstice. Our
Makar Sankranti has been moving progressively
later, but we still pretend it is Uttarayan.
32

33. • In Ahmad Shah Abdali’s time, in 1763, a Sarbat
Khalsa was held at the Akal Takht on the
occasion of Baisakhi, which fell on on April 10.
At the time of Jalianwala massacre, Baisakhi had
moved to 13 April. It is now on 14 April and will
be moving to later and later dates.
• Baisakhi is celebrated as harvesting festival, but
crops do not ripen according to the panchang
but to the position of the Sun in the sky.
33

34. • There is need to create a mechanism involving
traditional and modern scholars to make the
input parameters of Vikrami calendar accurate
so that there is exact correspondence between
actual sky phenomena and corresponding
calendar dates.
• 1
34

35. To sum up, I think probably the Haridwar spring
equinoctial festival and certainly the Allahabad
winter solstice festival did not have any Jupiter
connection to begin with. Nashik, it seems,
responded to Jupiter in Aquarius at Hardwar by
celebrating Jupiter’s arrival in Leo. Ujjain
imitated Simhasth celebrations following
Nashik.
35

36. The biggest congregation of all, the Prayag
Kumbh, is the most recent, and Kumbh only in
the sense of 12-yearly celebration.,
Curiously, in none of the Kumbh melas, no ritual
seems to be associated with Jupiter in the
religious/ ritual ceremonies
36

37. Thank
You
37