Kumbha Mela
Millions of years ago, the most powerful beings in the universe, known as the devas (demigods) and the asuras (demons), fought in the heavens over a pot of immortal nectar. During their twelve-day battle, some of the nectar spilled onto four places in India: Allahabad and Hardwar in Uttar Pradesh, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, and Nasik in Maharashtra.

According to the Vedic texts, a day in heaven equals a year on earth. So once every twelve years the nectar still pours onto these four sites, during certain planetary configurations. At these times, millions of people come to partake of the nectar by bathing in the holy rivers and drinking the sacred water. These gatherings of pilgrims are known as the Kumbha Mela (“festivals of the pots”).

Kumbha Mela Nashik

There is this story in which the Suras & the Asuras, had a great battle and the Asuras had taken control and defeated the demigods. So they approached the Supreme Lord Narayan, praying for his mercy. So He told them, that they should make a treaty with the demons and together work to churn the ocean of milk using the Mandara Mountain as a churning rod and the serpent Vasuki as the rope. And by churning the ocean of milk the nectar of mortality would come. So out of great desire to achieve this amrut the demigods agreed and the demons agreed to cooperate with the demigods to this great churning of the ocean of milk. This is a very long & beautiful story. When they first started churning it, the mountain started seeking deeper & deeper. The demigods & the demons were helpless. The demigods began to pray to the Lord. So the Lord incarnated as Kurma-avatar, a very gigantic tortoise and he lay under the mountain and used it and He became the pivot, in which the mountain was resting. And it is described that  this mountain was so huge that all the demigods & all the demons could not lift it, the Lord Himself had to lift it & bring it there. But for Kurma with this great mountain scratching on His back, He felt very satisfied, because by His own divine will He had an itch on his back at the time and he felt that the demigods & the demons were together are scratching at His back. The churning went on and then the mountain started going this way & that way, couldn’t keep it steady. So then they had to call out the Supreme Lord. So the Lord appeared as Ajitha and stood on the top of the mountain holding it in one place. Then they began to churn it again and the first thing that happened is Vasuki became very much exhausted by being used this rope, so fire started pouring out of his mouth, producing great heat. So then the Lord incarnated in the mode of ignorance, passion & goodness; to give relief to this serpent Vasuki as well as the demons & the demigods. And then they began to churn again, the first thing that came out as part of that churning was this poison called Hala-hala, and this poison was so powerful that just its vapors would have destroyed all life in the whole universe. So then, they all began to pray to the Lord Vishnu & Vishnu told the demigods that they should go to Lord Shiva, he will save you. So they approached Lord Shiva and out of compassion for all living beings ,Lord Shiva drank all the poisons and his throat became black & he became known as Kalakanta or Nilakanta. And this is a decoration showing that Lord Shiva was willing to perform the greatest service to the Lord, of really willing to risk his life to be compassionate to other living being.

They continued the churning as so many wonderful things came out, the horse Uchaishrava appeared and that was given to Bali maharaj to be his horse and then Airavatha, the elephant came out and that was claimed by Indra to be his carrier and then Surabhi cow came out and that was given to the Brahmins & rishis to perform yajna. And beautiful apsaras, everything was coming out & everyone involved was claiming proprietorship over various gifts from the churning of the ocean of milk and then Lakshmi Devi came out. Lakshmi Devi appeared in this world through the churning of the ocean of milk and everyone wanted to marry Lakshmi, because she was so beautiful. All the men of both, the demons & the demigods were proposing to her, and they were all hoping that she would stop and accept them. But she just walked passed everyone and went right to Ajitha, Naryan the Supreme Personality of Godhead and placed the garland of victory over Him. Then there was a wonderful wedding ceremony of Lakshmi-Narayan. And when they continued  churning,  ultimately the goal that they all had  to achieve – Amrut came out from the ocean of milk . The beautiful avatar of Lord Vishnu of the name Dhanavantari  was holding a beautiful golden pot & in that pot was the nectar of immortality, which can give a person, who tastes it , great power. The demons wanted it, the power to conquer. The demigods wanted it, the power to maintain & control. The devotees wanted, simply because it’s the prasad of the Lord, to purify their hearts. So immediately the demons who are more powerful than demigods at that times, they attacked Dhanavantari & dragged the pot of nectar from His hands. So again the demigods were in great distress, they have already been defeated. Now the demons will became millions of times more powerful when they drink this nectar, so they began to pray to Lord Vishnu. And then Vishnu incarnated as Mohini Murti, the most beautiful female form that the eyes could behold and immediately upon seeing Her, all the demons wanted Her to be their own. She was glancing at each one of them, so each one was thinking, that she loves only me, she doesn’t like anyone else and she is attracted to me. So everyone was convinced, every one of the demons that she will chose me to be her husband. And she was smiling at them very nicely and meanwhile the demons were fighting over that they want to drink first the nectar, but they couldn’t get amongst each other. They were fighting, who to take it first and they were grabbing from one another & no one was getting it. Everything is the property of God in this world, yet the demoniac mentality claims, everybody is trying to claim proprietorship over God’s property & nations are fighting & individuals are fighting, everyone is fighting over what belongs to God. So this is the nature of demons or the demoniac mentality.

So finally Mohini was so beautiful that they decided unanimously, that whoever Mohini Murti gives the nectar first we all agree with. But each one of them were thinking that she loves only me, because look at how she is smiling & looking at me, so I will get the nectar. “So Mohini please, we will give the nectar to you and you decide who gets it.” So She began to speak in bewildering words, she said “why you are trusting me, I’m a women without any escort coming to a place like this. you should not trust me, I may cheat you.” And they all began to laugh, “Yes you are speaking very nicely.” So then she took the nectar and she began to pour in the mouths of all demigods and all the demons were so much attracted to Her, attached to Her that they were afraid to say anything against Her. But then Rahu disguised himself as demigod & sat right next to Chandra & Surya and then nectar went into his mouth and then Chandra said “this is my enemy Rahu.” So Mohini Murti cut off his head with Sudharsan Chakra. Haribol..

Every 12 yrs the nectar rises & anyone who bathes in water at that times gets great-great material & spiritual benefits according to your consciousness. When Lord Shri Ramchandra was living here in Panchavati. He would daily take his bath in this  Ram Kunda and this is also the place where drop of nectar fell.