INDIA is gearing up for what is anticipated to be the largest gathering in history, as the six-week Kumbh Mela festival prepares to welcome 400 million pilgrims.
Held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, the event will take place from January 13 to February 26, coinciding with a rare planetary alignment, enhancing its significance.
The Kumbh Mela, rooted in Hindu mythology, is a millennia-old tradition where devotees bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, seeking to cleanse sins and achieve moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
This iteration, referred to as the "Maha Kumbh Mela," is the most significant, occurring every 12 years at Prayagraj.
Preparations for the festival resemble the construction of a temporary city, covering 4,000 hectares and including 150,000 toilets, 68,000 LED lighting poles, and community kitchens capable of feeding 50,000 people at once.
Labourers have been working tirelessly to set up the infrastructure, including roads, lighting, housing, and sanitation.
"This event is unique due to its magnitude," said Vivek Chaturvedi, the festival's spokesperson, noting that no invitations are sent—pilgrims attend purely out of faith.
The last Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, held in 2019 as a smaller "Ardh Kumbh," attracted 240 million people. This year’s Maha Kumbh is expected to surpass those numbers significantly.
Among the early arrivals are naga sadhus, or naked monks, who will lead ritual baths on six key dates, starting on January 13.
The event intertwines religious devotion with political undertones, as the city showcases large posters of prime minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, both from the ruling BJP.
Hindus believe the origins of the Kumbh lie in a mythological battle over a pitcher of nectar, with four drops falling to Earth, one at Prayagraj.
The astronomical aspect also plays a crucial role, as the festival is tied to Jupiter’s zodiac cycle.
The Kumbh Mela promises to be a monumental convergence of faith, tradition, and community.
(With inputs from PTI)
Damian Talbot