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{{short description|Hindu religious mela held every 12 years}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = Ujjain Simhastha
| native_name = उज्‍जैन सिंहस्‍थ
| native_name_lang = hi
| image = Simhasth2016_Ujjain_Snan1.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Ujjain Simhasth 2016 (उज्‍जैन सिंहस्‍थ)
| status = active
| genre = Fair
| frequency = Every 12 years
| prev = 2016
| next = 2028
| venue = Banks of [[Shipra]] river
| location = [[Ujjain]]
| country = [[India]]
| participants = [[Akhara]]s, pilgrims and merchants
| website = {{URL|simhasthujjain.in}}
| footnotes =
}}
'''Ujjain Simhastha''' is a [[Hindu]] religious [[mela]] held every 12 years in the [[Ujjain]] city of [[Madhya Pradesh]], India. The name is also transliterated as ''Sinhastha'' or ''Singhastha''. In [[Hindi]], the fair is also called ''Simhasth'' or ''Sinhasth'' (due to [[schwa deletion in Indo-Aryan languages|schwa deletion]]). The name derives from the fact that it is held when the [[Jupiter (astrology)|Jupiter]] is in [[Leo (astrology)|Leo]] (''Simha'' in [[Hindu astrology]]).
[[File:Simhasth2016 Ujjain Piligrims.jpg|thumb|left|Simhasth 2016 Ujjain pilgrims]]
[[File:Simhasth2016 Ujjain Ram Ghat.jpg|thumb|Simhasth2016 Ujjain Ram Ghat]]
It is one of the four fairs traditionally recognized as [[Kumbha Mela]]s, and is also known as '''Ujjain Kumbh Mela'''. According to [[Hindu mythology]], [[Vishnu]] dropped drops of [[amrita]] (the drink of immortality) at four places, while transporting it in a ''[[kumbha]]'' (pot). These four places, including Ujjain, are identified as the present-day sites of the Kumbh Mela."Kumbh" in its literal English translation means "Pot", which emerged from "Samudra Manthan"(Churning of the Ocean) between Gods and Demons. The term ‘Mela‘ signifies’Fair‘.

The Simhastha at Ujjain is an adaptation of the [[Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha|Nashik-Trimbak Simhastha]] fair to a local festival of uncertain origin. In its current form, it began in the 18th century when the [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]] ruler [[Ranoji Shinde]] invited ascetics from Nashik to Ujjain's local festival. Both Ujjain and Nashik fairs adopted the ''Kumbha'' myth from the [[Haridwar Kumbh Mela]]. The Simhastha at Ujjayini pays special reverence to the temple of [[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga]], which is the abode of Lord [[Shiva]]'s [[Swayambhu]] lingam. A river-side festival, it is celebrated on the banks of [[Shipra]] river. The fair attracts millions of pilgrims.<ref name="CJ_2010"/>

== Date ==

The Ujjain Simhastha is held once in 12 years, when the [[Jupiter (astrology)|Jupiter]] is in [[Leo (astrology)|Leo]] (''Simha'' in [[Hindu astrology]]). The main ''snana'' (bathing ritual) happens on the full moon day in [[Vaisakha]] month of the [[Hindu calendar]] (April–May).<ref name="JGL_2002">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch |url-access=registration |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z |author=James G. Lochtefeld |publisher=Rosen |year=2002 |isbn=9780823931804 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/651 651]–652 }}</ref>

== History ==

The Ujjain Simhastha started in the 18th century as an adaptation of the [[Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha]]. The ''[[Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh]]'' (1695 CE) is the earliest extant text that mentions the term "Kumbh Mela".<ref name="KAJ_2008"/> The book mentions Ujjain as a very sacred place in its description of the [[Malwa Subah]]. However, it does not mention any fair at Ujjain, although it mentions the melas at [[Haridwar]] (an annual mela and a Kumbh Mela every 12 years), [[Allahabad|Prayag]] (an annual mela in [[Magha (month)|Magh]]) and [[Trimbak]] (a mela held every 12 years when Jupiter enters Leo).<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/indiaofaurangzib034937mbp|title=India of Aurangzib |author=Jadunath Sarkar |author-link=Jadunath Sarkar |publisher=Kinnera |date=1901 |page=[https://archive.org/details/indiaofaurangzib034937mbp/page/n175 56] }}</ref> Like the fairs at Prayag (Allahabad) and Nashik, the Ujjain mela was not called a "Kumbh Mela" until the 19th century: that term was originally used only for the [[Haridwar Kumbh Mela|Haridwar fair]].<ref name="Kama_2008">{{cite book |author=Kama Maclean |title=Pilgrimage and Power: The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, 1765-1954 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MALacgnsroMC&pg=PA89 |date=28 August 2008 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-533894-2 |page=89 }}</ref>

=== Maratha era ===

According to the '' Vikrama-Smrti-Grantha'' published by the [[Vikram University]], the Ujjain Simhastha began when the [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]] ruler [[Ranoji Shinde]] (died 1745) invited akharas from Nashik to Ujjain for a local festival of uncertain origin. This explains why the Ujjain and the Nashik fairs occur within one year of each other, when Jupiter enters Leo. The Ujjain fair happens first if the Jupiter enters Leo before spring; the Nashik fair happens first if the Jupiter enters Leo between spring and late summer.<ref name="KAJ_2008">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WT2odZ7_d7MC&pg=PA32 |title=South Asian Religions on Display: Religious Processions in South Asia and in the Diaspora |editor=Knut A. Jacobsen |chapter=The Kumbha Mela festival processions |author=James G. Lochtefeld |publisher=Routledge |year=2008 |pages=32–41 |isbn=9781134074594 }}</ref>

In 1789, after a clash between [[Shaivite]] ''sanyasi''s and [[Vaishnavite]] ''bairagi''s at Trimbak, the Maratha [[Peshwa]] ordered the two groups to bathe at separate places. The Peshwa also imposed this rule on the next Ujjain Simhastha: the ''sanyasi''s would bathe on the one side of the Shipra river, the ''bairagi''s on the other.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V1L99XsB1gkC&pg=PA252 |title=Gods Gateway: Identity and Meaning in a Hindu Pilgrimage Place |author=James Lochtefeld |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2009 |isbn=9780199741588 |pages=252–253 }}</ref><ref name="KAJ_2008"/>

=== British era ===

During the [[British rule in india|British rule]], the Ujjain Simhastha was the only Kumbh Mela organized in a [[princely state]]. While Haridwar, Prayag and Trimbak-Nashik were part of the territories directly ruled by the British, Ujjain was part of the [[Gwalior State]] ruled by the [[Scindia]] (Shinde) dynasty. During this time, the Scindias financed half of the event's expenses.<ref name="CJ_2010">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XAO3i_gS61wC&pg=PA241 |title=Religion, Caste, and Politics in India |author=Christophe Jaffrelot |publisher=Primus |year=2010 |pages=241–242 |isbn=9789380607047 }}</ref>

At the 1826 fair in Ujjain, a sectarian conflict took place between the Saivite [[Gosain]]s and the Vaishnavite Bairagis. The Gosains, who started the clash, were defeated.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dXHomTB9tTAC&q=Oojein&pg=PA131 |title=Sindias and the Raj: Princely Gwalior C. 1800-1850 |author=Amar Farooqui |publisher=Primus |year=2011 |isbn=9789380607085 |page=131 }}</ref> Their monasteries and temples were plundered by the Bairagis, who were assisted by the local Marathas.<ref name="David_1996">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jEUdPqYQjhoC&pg=PA156 |title=Contesting the Nation |editor=David Ludden |chapter=Soldier Monks and Militant Sadhus |author=William R. Pinch |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=1996 |isbn=9780812215854 |pages=155–158 }}</ref>

The militarized sadhus were disarmed during the British era. An 1850 British account mentions that the administrators of Ujjain sought British military help to prevent violence between Gosains and Bairagis. In response, two companies of the Gwalior Infantry were deployed in Ujjain under the command of [[wikisource:en:Macpherson, Samuel Charters (DNB00)|Captain Macpherson]]. A fenced barrier was constructed in the middle of the shallow river so that the two groups could bathe independently of each other instead of fighting over ceremonial precedence. One hundred [[Brahmin]]s were positioned along to fence to assist the sadhus in their ablutions. Macpherson deployed his troops throughout the city, on the bathing [[ghats]] and in the temple balconies. He convinced the Saivites to conclude their bathing rituals in morning, before the arrival of much larger and more powerful Vaishanavite group. As a precaution, he also deployed heavy guns along the river to curb any potential violence. There was a dispute between two Vaishnavite sub-groups, which was resolved by Macpherson without violence.<ref name="David_1996"/>

The 1921 Simhastha is notable for a historic debate in which the [[Ramanandi Sampradaya]] defeated the [[Ramanuja sampradaya]] (Shri Vaishnavas). The debate was to address the question whether the Shri Vaishnava literature offended [[Ramachandra]]. The Ramanuja sampradaya was defended by Swami Ramprapann Ramanujadas of the [[Totadri]] [[matha|math]]. The Ramanandis were represented by Bhagavadacharya (alias Bhagvad Das). The jury declared Bhagavadacharya as the winner of the debate, and Ramanandis became independent of the Ramanuja sampradaya. However, some Ramanandis continued to regard themselves as part of the Ramanuja sampradaya, alleging that Bhagavadacharya forged evidence used to win the debate and that the jury was biased. The Ramanujis were prohibited from participating in the subsequent 1932 Kumbh Mela at Ujjain.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/peasantsmonksinb0000pinc |url-access=registration |title=Peasants and Monks in British India |author=William R. Pinch |publisher=University of California Press |year=1996 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/peasantsmonksinb0000pinc/page/64 64]–66 }}</ref><ref name="David_1996"/>

=== Independent India ===

The 1992 Simhastha, which preceded the [[demolition of the Babri Masjid]], is noted for [[Ram Janmabhoomi]] campaign. [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) leader [[Vijaya Raje Scindia]] was President of the fair's organizing committee. Around 10 million pilgrims visited Ujjain during 17 April - 16 May. During this time, annual sessions of [[Bajrang Dal]] and [[Durga Vahini]]'s Madhya Bharat branch were held in Ujjain. [[Satyamitranand Giri]] "re-converted" some 100 tribals to Hinduism at the Durga Vahini session. A Sanskrit Sammelan presided over by Karan Singh attracted several Hindu nationalists. [[Mahant Avaidyanath|Avaidyanath]] presided over a Sant Sammelan ("gathering of [[Sant (religion)|sant]]s"), in which he declared that his movement was committed to the construction of a temple in [[Ayodhya]]. [[Vishwa Hindu Parishad]] (VHP) leader [[Ashok Singhal]] requested all sadhus to spend the [[chaturmas]] (July–October) in Ayodhya in order to exert pressure on the Government. Some individuals, such as Swami Yogeshwar Videhi Hariji, objected to the politicization of the Mela, but were isolated.<ref name="CJ_2010"/>

The 2016 Ujjain Simhastha was organized between 22 April and 21 May. According to the state's Transport Minister [[Bhupendra Singh (Madhya Pradesh politician)|Bhoopendra Singh]], nearly 75 million people visited the fair during this one-month period.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/ujjain-simhastha-humbh-mela-ends-kshipra-river-2812330/ |title=Ujjain: As Kumbh draws to a close, devotees throng Kshipra for 'shahi snan' |date=21 May 2016 |publisher=Indian Express }}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Simhasth2016 Ujjain Snan2.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Ujjain Snan
File:Simhasth2016 Ujjain Security.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Ujjain Security
File:Simhasth2016 Ujjain Saadhu 3.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Ujjain Saadhu
File:Simhasth2016 Ujjain Saadhu 2.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Ujjain Saadhu
File:Simhasth2016 Ujjain Saadhu 1.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Ujjain Saadhu
File:Simhasth2016 Panchayati akhada nirmal Shahi Snan sawari.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Panchayati akhada nirmal Shahi Snan sawari
File:Simhasth2016 Panchayati akhada nirmal Shahi Snan Leading.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Panchayati akhada nirmal Shahi Snan Leading
File:Simhasth2016 Shree Panchayati Bada Udaseen Akhada.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Shree Panchayati Bada Udaseen Akhada
File:Simhasth2016 Ujjain Dutt Akhada Ghaat.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Ujjain Dutt Akhada Ghaat
File:Simhasth2016 Panchayati akhada nirmal Shahi Snan.jpg|Simhasth 2016 Panchayati akhada nirmal Shahi Snan
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.simhasthujjain.in/}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.mptourism.com/pdf-html/simhastha/index-su.html |publisher= [[Madhya Pradesh]] tourism |title= Simhastha Kumbh Ujjain }}

{{City of Ujjain}}



[[Category:Kumbh Mela]]
[[Category:Culture of Ujjain]]
[[Category:April observances]]
[[Category:May observances]]
[[Category:Hindu festivals]]

Ujjain Simhastha - Revision history

ImportMaster at 05:55, 19 January 2022