The Kumbh Mela festival commenced on Monday in India, drawing massive crowds of Hindu devotees to partake in ritual baths at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
Anticipating what could be the largest gathering of humanity ever recorded, organizers predict an attendance of nearly 400 million people.
In the northern city of Prayagraj, as the first light broke the horizon, pilgrims eagerly began bathing in the sacred waters.
“I feel great joy,” said 45-year-old Surmila Devi. “For me, it’s like bathing in nectar.”
Among the millions of participants, Reena Rai, a businesswoman, expressed her exhilaration as she described her spiritual motivations.
“As a Hindu, this is an unmissable occasion,” said the 38-year-old, who traveled about 1,000 kilometers from Madhya Pradesh to be part of the festival.
Running until February 26, the Kumbh Mela has transformed Prayagraj into a sprawling sea of tents and bustling crowds.
Monks clad in saffron robes and ash-covered ascetics mingled with pilgrims, offering blessings to many who had journeyed on foot for weeks.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath welcomed attendees in a statement, calling the festival “the world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering” and inviting participants to “experience unity in diversity, to meditate, and take a holy bath at the confluence of faith and modernity.”
The logistics behind the event are monumental, with the scale likened to a temporary nation.
“Some 350 to 400 million devotees are going to visit the mela, so you can imagine the scale of preparations,” said festival spokesman Vivek Chaturvedi.
Sunday evening saw processions of Hindu monks marching towards the rivers, their flags billowing as they were followed by tractors-turned-chariots bearing idols of deities.
The sounds of drums and horns filled the air, adding a festive rhythm to the spiritual occasion.
Rooted in mythology, the Kumbh Mela symbolizes the divine battle between gods and demons for a pitcher of immortality nectar.
This year’s celebration has been declared the “Maha” or great Kumbh Mela, amplifying its significance.
The riverside has become a city of makeshift shelters, ranging from luxurious tents to modest tarpaulin coverings. Jaishree Ben Shahtilal, who journeyed for three days from Gujarat in a convoy of 11 buses, shared her devotion.
“I have great faith in god,” she said. “I have waited for so long to bathe in the holy river.”
To accommodate the immense gathering, authorities constructed 150,000 toilets and set up community kitchens capable of serving up to 50,000 people at a time.
More than 68,000 LED light poles illuminate the grounds, creating a dazzling sight visible from space.
The 2019 “ardh” or half Kumbh Mela at the same location drew 240 million attendees.
In comparison, the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca attracts about 1.8 million Muslims.
Indian police have intensified patrols and implemented robust security measures. Lost pilgrims can rely on a network of centers and a mobile app designed to reunite them with their families.
Despite temperatures dropping to 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) and intermittent rain, many pilgrims embraced the conditions.
“Once you are in the water, you don’t even feel cold,” said 56-year-old Chandrakant Nagve Patel. “I felt like I was one with god.”
Hindus believe that immersing in the confluence during the Kumbh washes away sins and grants salvation.
For Bhawani Baneree, a government employee from Maharashtra, the vibrant energy of the festival made the long journey worthwhile. “Everything is so beautiful,” he remarked.
