The History and Mythology of the Kumbh Melā

The Kumbh Melā which takes place in India approximately every three years is the largest festival in the world. This short introduction to its history and mythology was originally published as an appendix to my study of a sect of Indian sādhus the Daśanāmī-Saṃnyāsīs (The Daśanāmī-Saṃnyāsīs: The Integration of Ascetic Lineages into an Order. Leiden/Boston: E. J. Brill 2006). It has been reprinted in this small booklet to enable easy access to the information. This booklet is slightly out of date as only a few publications on this topic have been consulted since this article was first published in 2006. Dr. Matthew Clark Research Associate School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London