Maha Kumbh Mela: World’s largest gathering begins in India

Hundreds of millions of Hindus are gathering this week for what is expected to be the world’s largest human gathering, where a staggering number of worshipers, tourists, politicians and celebrities take holy baths at the convergence of two sacred rivers in India.

The religious festival, called Maha Kumbh Mela, takes place every 12 years on the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna in the town of Prayagraj in northern India. Officials this year expect up to 400 million people – more than the population of the United States – to visit the Uttar Pradesh state site over the next six weeks.

A major manifestation of Hinduism, the event has recently become an important political event with the rise of Hindu nationalism, supported by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing political party. It’s also a massive logistical undertaking for government officials working to prevent incidents such as stampedes and the spread of disease.

What is the Maha Kumbh Mela?

The Maha Kumbh Mela, or “great festival of the sacred jug”, is the largest religious ceremony in the world. Based on a Hindu legend in which demons and gods fight over a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality, the centuries-old ceremony centers on a series of sacred baths that Hindus believe cleanse their sins.

The sacred baths are preceded by processions involving people singing and dancing dressed in vibrant outfits, on ornately decorated floats and brandishing spears, tridents and ceremonial swords. To participate, people come from all over India and the world to the junction of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, a sacred site which is also said to be the end point of a mythical third river, the Saraswati.