154317

What is the Big Pot Festival?

The Big Pot Festival, also known as the Holy Water Bathing Festival, is the world’s largest religious Hindu gathering and one of the most attended festivals in the world.

The Big Pot Festival originated from ancient Indian myths and legends. According to legend, Hindu gods and demons fought over a pot because the pot was filled with elixir of life. As a result, the pot was accidentally overturned, and four drops of the elixir of life were dropped into the four places of Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujang and Nasi in India. Therefore, these four cities celebrated the Big Pot Festival every three years. Each place is only held once every 12 years, so it is a rare religious event. It will run for 42 days, starting on January 9.

During the festival, Hindus bathe in the Ganges to wash away the sins of the past.

Festival Introduction

Origin

The Big Pot Festival, the world’s largest religious Hindu gathering, is one of the most attended festivals in the world. Its name comes from ancient Indian myths and legends. The Big Kettle Festival is held every 6 years in Allahabad for 6 weeks and is attended by as many as 70 million devotees each time. Millions of devotees go to the confluence of the two holy rivers, the Ganges and Yamuna, to bathe on the occasion of the festival.

In four Indian cities, namely, Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik, the “Big Pot Festival” is held every twelve years, and every six years in Allahabad and Nashik. Haldeval holds a half ceremony, a small ceremony every three years.

Name origin

According to legend, the Hindu god Deva and the group of demons Asura fought over a pot because the pot was filled with elixir of life. As a result, the pot was accidentally overturned, and four drops of the elixir fell into the four places of Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujang, and Nasi in India. Today, these 4 cities celebrate the Big Pot Festival on average every 3 years, and among these 4 cities, Allahabad is recognized as the most blessed by the gods, because it is the confluence of the three holy rivers in India. .

Since then, devout believers have bathed in Allahabad at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamna rivers every 12 years, praying to wash away their sins.

Historical records

The history books do not record when the Dahu Festival began. But a Chinese tourist who was born in the seventh century A.D. mentioned Allahabad in his travelogue.

Time Distribution

The dates of the festival are determined according to the positions of Jupiter, the sun and the moon in the zodiac, mainly referring to the Hindu calendar.

The Big Pot Festival, also known as the Full Pot Festival, is held approximately every twelve years. The Kettle Festival of Allahabad is held three years after the Kettle Festival of Haridwar, and the Kettle Festivals of Nasik and Ujjan are held in the same year or a year apart.

The Banhu Festival is held between the two Dahu Festivals, that is, once every six years. There are half-pot festivals in Allahabad and Haridwar.

The Mahapot Festival is held after the twelve Great Pot Festivals, that is, once every 144 years.

Event review

The “Dahu Festival” in 2010 will last from January 9 to February 21, and the climax will be the six-day bathing day from January 24, which is regarded as the most auspicious bathing day. The Ganges Pilgrimage, which will be closed to non-Hindus, is now fully open, allowing tourists to visit the oldest and largest religious gathering in history.

January 9, 2010, coincides with the lunar eclipse and the beginning of a new century, thus becoming an auspicious day. Therefore, the first day of the “Bath of the Ganges” attracted millions of believers. It is estimated that by the end of the 43-day Dahu festival on February 21, some 70 million people will come to the Ganges to wash away their sins.

On January 14, 2013, the “Big Pot Festival” was held in the northern city of Allahabad, India. On the 14th, according to preliminary statistics, about 3 million people came to participate.

On the 12th of 2021, more than two million Hindu pilgrims gathered on the banks of the Ganges to bathe in the river to celebrate the Big Pot Festival. Indian police said that due to the large number of crowds, restrictions could not be taken, and most of them were not wearing masks.