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). The name derives from the
fact that it is held when the Jupiter is in Leo (Simha in Hindu astrology).
It is one of the four fairs
traditionally recognized as Kumbha Melas, 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.
The Simhastha at Ujjain is an
adaptation of the Nashik-Trimbak Simhastha fair to a local festival of
uncertain origin. In its current form, it began in the 18th century when the
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.[citation needed] A river-side festival, it is celebrated on the
banks of Shipra river. The fair attracts millions of pilgrims.[1]
The Ujjain Simhastha is scheduled in
2016, between 22 April and 21 May.
