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Year 6

Kumbh Mela: a Hindu place of pilgrimage

I can explain what happens at the Kumbh Mela and the experience of different Hindus.

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New
New
Year 6

Kumbh Mela: a Hindu place of pilgrimage

I can explain what happens at the Kumbh Mela and the experience of different Hindus.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of people on earth.
  2. The Kumbh Mela is a festival that happens every twelve years in India. It shows harmony of different Hindu traditions.
  3. Many Hindus will bathe at the meeting point of the rivers. Others will learn from the sadhus and sadhvi that attend.
  4. We can better understand Kumbh Mela by speaking to different Hindus.

Keywords

  • Kumbh Mela - a Hindu festival drawing large numbers of pilgrims

  • Dharma - acting with compassion for the good of humans and all living things

  • Sadhu/sadhvi - a Hindu man or woman who has chosen to lead a life of meditation away from others

  • Moksha - the end of the cycle of rebirth; becoming one with Brahman or God

Common misconception

The Kumbh Mela is simply about sadhus and crowds at the Ganges.

The Kumbh Mela is a spiritual pilgrimage linked to the sacred rivers and sacred time. Hindus may bathe in the river, speak to and learn from the wisdom of sadhus and sadhvus. They may also offer acts of service to other pilgrims.


To help you plan your year 6 religious education lesson on: Kumbh Mela: a Hindu place of pilgrimage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Compare a local stadium/venue capacity with the numbers present at the Kumbh Mela, so that pupils can gain an understanding of the large size of this festival. You might like to give the case studies to pupils so they can read them and use them to analyse for the final task.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the River Ganges also known as?
the Yamuna
the Brahmaputra
Correct answer: the Ganga
Q2.
Why do Hindus believe the River Ganges is sacred?
because it is where the Buddha meditated
Correct answer: because it is the earthly form of the goddess Ganga
because it is the longest river in India
Q3.
What does ‘moksha’ mean in Hinduism?
the cycle of birth and rebirth
Correct answer: freedom from the cycle of samsara
a type of Hindu prayer
Q4.
Why do some Hindus scatter ashes in the River Ganges?
Correct answer: to help the deceased's soul achieve moksha
to cool the river
to make the water holy
Q5.
What is Varanasi?
a festival
Correct answer: a holy city on the River Ganges
a holy man
Q6.
The story of Mother Ganga teaches Hindus to respect .
Correct Answer: nature, the natural world, the environment, the earth, all nature

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the Kumbh Mela?
a Hindu wedding ceremony
Correct answer: a Hindu festival and pilgrimage
a Hindu festival about dancing
Q2.
Where does the Kumbh Mela take place?
Correct answer: at the meeting of sacred rivers
at a temple in London
in the middle of a forest
Q3.
Why do Hindus go to the Kumbh Mela?
to buy special gifts
Correct answer: to bathe in sacred rivers
to visit family
Q4.
How often does the Kumbh Mela take place?
every 5 years
every 50 years
Correct answer: every 12 years
Q5.
What do some Hindus do at the Kumbh Mela to practise dharma?
Correct answer: help others and show kindness
build houses
learn to cook
Q6.
True or false? Only men can be Hindu religious leaders and teachers.
true
Correct answer: false
partially true