On Monday, millions of Hindu devotees, mystics, and holy figures from across India assembled in Prayagraj, marking the beginning of the Maha Kumbh festival. This event, regarded as the largest religious gathering globally, will unfold over six weeks, drawing Hindu pilgrims to the confluence of three sacred rivers: the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. Participants engage in sacred rituals aimed at achieving liberation from the cycle of rebirth, a fundamental goal in Hindu philosophy.
A Confluence of Faith and Tradition
For Hindus, rivers hold profound spiritual significance, particularly the Ganges and the Yamuna. Many believe that immersing oneself in their waters can cleanse sins and break the cycle of reincarnation, especially during auspicious days determined by astrological cycles. The Maha Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, is a grand festival centered on these rituals.
Dating back to medieval times, this festival involves ritualistic baths by Hindu sadhus (holy men) and pilgrims at the sacred confluence in Prayagraj. It is believed that the Saraswati river once flowed here alongside the Ganges and the Yamuna, forming a trinity of sacred waters.
While bathing is performed daily, certain auspicious days see dramatic rituals, with ash-smeared monks dashing into the rivers at dawn. Many pilgrims remain for the festival’s entirety, practicing austerity, offering alms, and bathing at sunrise. One pilgrim, Bhagwat Prasad Tiwari, shared, “We feel peaceful here and attain salvation from the cycles of life and death.”
The festival’s origins lie in Hindu mythology, which recounts how the god Vishnu seized a golden pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from demons. According to tradition, drops of this nectar fell in four locations: Prayagraj, Nasik, Ujjain, and Haridwar, making them the sites of the Kumbh festival for centuries. The festival rotates among these four cities approximately every three years based on astrological dates.
This year’s Maha Kumbh is considered the largest and most significant of these gatherings. In 2019, during a smaller version of the festival called Ardh Kumbh, 240 million visitors participated, with 50 million bathing on the busiest day.
A Gathering on an Unparalleled Scale
The Maha Kumbh is expected to host an astounding 400 million people over 45 days, surpassing the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, which drew around 2 million last year. This staggering scale underscores the festival’s logistical and cultural significance.
Authorities face a monumental challenge in managing this event, which combines religious devotion, tourism, and large-scale crowd control. A vast 40-square-kilometer area along the riverbanks has been transformed into a tent city, equipped with over 3,000 kitchens, 150,000 restrooms, and essential amenities like housing, roads, electricity, and water. Communication towers, murals depicting Hindu scriptures, and 11 hospitals have also been established.
Indian Railways has introduced more than 90 special trains making nearly 3,300 trips to transport devotees, supplementing regular train services. Security has been ramped up, with 50,000 personnel—50% more than in 2019—stationed in the city. Over 2,500 cameras, some powered by artificial intelligence, monitor crowd movements, providing real-time data to central control rooms for quick response and to prevent stampedes.
A Political Undertone
Historically, Indian leaders have leveraged the Kumbh festival to strengthen ties with the nation’s Hindu majority, comprisingnearly 80% of the population. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the festival has become a key element of his party’s promotion of Hindu nationalism. Modi’s government views Indian civilization as deeply intertwined with Hinduism, though critics argue that this stance promotes Hindu supremacy.
Uttar Pradesh’s state government, led by Adityanath—a prominent Hindu monk and hard-line politician in Modi’s party—has allocated over $765 million to this year’s event. Giant billboards and posters featuring Adityanath and Modi adorn the city, highlighting their government’s welfare policies alongside religious imagery.
The festival bolsters the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) strategy of promoting Hindu cultural symbols to solidify its support base. However, recent Kumbh gatherings have sparked controversies. In 2019, Modi’s government renamed the city from Allahabad to Prayagraj, a move critics linked to its broader effort to replace Mughal-era names with Hindu ones. This decision preceded both the festival and the national election, which the BJP won.
In 2021, the government faced criticism for not canceling the festival in Haridwar despite a surge in COVID-19 cases. Many viewed this decision as an attempt to avoid backlash from religious leaders in the Hindu-majority nation.
A Celebration of Faith Amid Challenges
The Maha Kumbh remains a vibrant testament to Hinduism’s rich cultural heritage, drawing millions to Prayagraj in pursuit of spiritual fulfillment. While the festival presents logistical challenges and serves as a platform for political narratives, its essence lies in the timeless tradition of devotion and the pursuit of liberation.
As the sacred waters of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati continue to draw pilgrims from across the nation, the Maha Kumbh stands as a remarkable convergence of faith, culture, and humanity.