Nasik Mela is a festival in India.
The Nasik Mela is Nasik's version of the Kumbha Mela.
The Kumbha Mela is a religious celebration held in Haridwar,
Allahabad, Ujjain, and Nasik, among other places.
Bathing (snana) in the sacred waters during especially holy
occasions is the highlight of the festival.
The main participants in the Kumbha Mela are ascetics who
travel from all around southern Asia to bathe in the hallowed waters.
According to legend, the great philosopher Shankaracharya
founded the Kumbha Mela to encourage regular meetings of educated and holy men
as a way to build, maintain, and expand the Hindu faith.
The position of the sun and the planet Jupiter govern the
time of each of these festivals; the twelve years between them correspond to
Jupiter's orbit.
During the lunar month of Shravan (July–August), when
Jupiter is in the sign of Leo, the Nasik Mela is celebrated.
This is the smallest of the four Kumbha Melas, and it is
largely attended by ascetics.
