THE CHRONICLES

OF KUMBHA: A
JOURNEY THROUGH
TIME
Chapter 1-The Great Mela
“It’s ready”, said the scientist.
As he guided me through the hallway of the laboratory into the test room, I felt the adrenaline
pumping in my blood. It was time.
I stepped onto the little platform as the scientist gave me the instructions.
“We’ll be reverting you back in time to year 2023 in 3,2....”
I held my breath, as the scientist began the countdown.
“And 1”, said the scientist.
Immediately I felt a jerk in my body as the time machine started shaking. My mind was spinning, and
I felt that I was about to pass out any second now. But then, it stopped.
The door to the time machine opened and I gasped. I was here. Standing in the middle of a never-
ending crowd.
Hello, I am your narrator, and I will be sharing an experience which I will never forget.
I’ve always been intrigued by the past. Ever since I was young, I've heard my elderly talk so dearly about their
times that it made me desperate to experience it myself too. The current year is 2132 and humans have finally
discovered a way to travel through time- an accomplishment indeed.
So, here I was. Standing in the middle of the world's largest congregation of religious pilgrims.
The Great Mela of Kumbh.
 Chapter 2-A Sudden
Encounter
As I wandered through the crowd, I
felt lost. Both physically and mentally.
Among all those religious pilgrims dressed in their saffron attire, I felt like an outcast. I tried to
make my way through the whirlpool of the crowd, I saw an image of the mass human
population form in my mind.
I felt claustrophobic.
My mind was not able to process what I was seeing, and I felt overwhelmed. Suddenly, I
started hyperventilating. That is when a hand came out of nowhere and led me out of the dense
crowd –almost like the hand of god’s angel itself.
When we reached a bit more isolated area, I thanked the stranger. He looked like he was in his twenties, tall
and conventionally attractive with dark hair and golden-tanned skin. He looked thin but muscular.
He replied, “No problem! I thought that you needed help and so I just lent you, my hand.”

He then gave me a tour of the place since it was massive. Turns out, he has been visiting the mela ever since he was
young and was quite familiar with the place.

I saw pilgrims from all over the world, taking a dip in the holy rivers. This was a site of observance between 4 sacred
rivers- at Haridwar on the Ganges River, at Ujjain on the Shipra, at Nashik on the Godavari, and at Prayag.

Pilgrims were praying to their deities and were waiting in the massive crowd for their turn to come to take a dip in the
river.

“It’s celebrated once every 12 years, that is why it’s usually very crowded.” said the stranger.

I was so intrigued by everything that I forgot to ask his name.

“I forgot to ask your name.” I spoke.

“Yash” replied the stranger.

Chapter 3-The Kumbha
After the tour, I, out of curiosity ask my newfound friend, “So, Yash, what is the mysterious legend behind the
celebration of such a huge mela?”
Yash chuckles and replies, “Ah, it’s a long story, are you sure you’re ready?”
I assure him, “Trust me, I have no better work to do.”
He then says, “Alright, if you say so.” And starts narrating the story,
“In the age veiled by mists of legends, when the world still bore the aura of youth and whispered secrets of the
extraordinary, there resided a wise sage known to all as Vishnu for his profound wisdom and the gift of foresight. One
day, while meditating by the sacred river Ganges, Vishnu had a vision.
He jolted from his meditation and cried out, “No!”
Vishnu believed that the salvation of humanity lay in this vision. He knew he had to find a way to make it a reality. So,
he embarked a journey to the Himalayas, where he sought the blessings of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction and
rebirth.
After years of penance and devotion, Lord Shiva appeared before Vishnu.
Lord Shiva says, “I am touched by your unwavering devotion, what brings you to my realm, Vishnu?”
 Lord Shiva says, “I am touched by your unwavering devotion, what brings you to my realm, Vishnu?”
Vishnu replies, “My dear lord, I had a vision,
I witnessed a world consumed by darkness and chaos. Mortals were plagued by their sins, and the land was parched,
suffering from drought and despair. But amidst this grim abyss, I saw a glimmer of hope—a grand gathering , a Mela,
where the waters of the Ganges would be infused with divine blessings. I’m here to seek your help for a chance of
redemption for humanity”
Lord Shiva then grants Vishnu a sacred vessel, a promise of renewal which could hold the divine nectars of God.
The Kumbha.
Chapter 4-The Quest For Amrit
Vishnu had the Kumbha but the journey was yet to begin, the quest for Amrit was still left. And it was not an easy
one. As devas found themselves losing from asuras they sought help from Vishnu who then formed an alliance
with asuras and extract the Amrit from the ocean of milk. The asuras agreed to the alliance under the condition that
both devas and asuras would share the Amrit equally.
The asuras then help the devas to tear Mount Mandara and gather at the holy river of Ganges.
In this process of Samudra Manthan, Mount Mandara was used as a churning stick and Vasuki, the king of Serpents
in form of a snake was used as a churning rope.
However, Vishnu was very clever, when the devas held the tail of the snake, he tricked asuras to hold the head of
the snake which caused death of many asuras.
After a while, lethal venom started escaping Vasuki’s mouth. The great Shiva drank the lethal poison in order to
protect the ocean from getting polluted and Parvati, his wife stopped the poison from spreading into his body.
Which gave him the name Neelkanth
As the churning progressed the mountain started sinking in the ocean, Vishnu then transformed himself into his
avatar as a turtle, Kurma, and brought it up by supporting it on his back.
After a millennium of churning, 14 ratnas from the depth of the ocean were brought up- Chandra, the moon; Parijata,
a fragrant tree now planted in Indra’s heaven; Airavata, a four tusked elephant which is now Indra’s mount;
Kamdhenu, the cow of plenty; Madira, the goddess of wine; Kalpvriksha, wish fulfilling tree; Apsaras, celestial
dancers; Uccaihshravas, the celestial horse; Goddess Laxmi, Vishnu’s wife; Panchajanya, Vishnu’s conch; Vishnu’s
mace and magic bow; various gems and Dhanvantri, the physician of gods who rose up out of the waters carrying
the ultimate treasure,
Chapter 5 –The
Farewell
As agreed before, the Amrit was getting distributed amongst everyone but little did the asuras know that they
were being tricked.
“Wait! this is alcohol! We were tricked”, yells an angry asura
And another fierce battle starts between the asuras and devas. Vishnu then turns into his avatar as Mohini and
distracts the asuras and distributes the Amrit amongst devas. But RahuKetu, an asura notices this and disguises
himself as a deva and drinks the Amrit. But it wasn’t long till Vishnu found out about his identity and cut his
head off with Sudarshan Chakra. He’s believed to be alive till date still with his head and body still separated.
But that wasn’t all, there was something that happened during the battle.
 During the battle a few drops of Amrit fell on some pieces of land. Those are now some sacred places where The
Kumbha Ka Mela is celebrated.”
And this was the legend behind the celebration of Kumbha Ka Mela, now I must go.”, said Yash
After Yash’s departure, I got back into my time machine.
This time with memories that I will cherish my whole life.
The time machine started shaking and this time I couldn’t keep up and I passed out.
“Hello there! How was the experience?”, a voice said, and I opened my eyes.
You heard the story from my perspective but not quite.
I am you and you are me.
You were the traveler all along.
In a mysterious world where past and present collide, a
bold traveler embarks on a unique adventure, sent back
in time to 2023 during the world's largest religious
pilgrimage, the Kumbha ka Mela. Guided by a
mysterious friend, they witness mesmerizing rituals,
legendary tales, and deep connections among saffron-
clad pilgrims. Uncovering the Mela's secrets reveals
ancient myths, epic battles, and the creation of a
centuries-old tradition. This is a journey where time is
fluid, faith is steadfast, and a divine festival's legacy
endures through the ages.