India celebrates Maha Kumbh Mela festival

The world’s largest religious gathering commenced on Monday as millions of Hindu devotees assembled along the banks of the Ganges in India to begin the Maha Kumbh Mela.

This pilgrimage, held every 12 years, is celebrated as the pinnacle of Hindu religious festivals in India. It attracts a diverse mix of sadhus, ascetics, pilgrims, and tourists. This year holds special significance as the Maha Kumbh Mela, occurring only once every 144 years, marks the 12th iteration of the festival, coinciding with a rare celestial alignment of the sun, moon, and Jupiter.

Over 400 million people, the largest gathering in its history, are anticipated to attend the 45-day event in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Prayagraj holds particular sanctity for Hindus due to Triveni Sangam, the sacred meeting point of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Throughout the festival, there are several holy bathing days, or shahi snans, where devotees immerse themselves in the rivers, believing it purifies their souls.

The origins of the Kumbh Mela are debated, but it is rooted in the legend of Samudra Manthan, where drops of the elixir of immortality spilled from Lord Vishnu’s urn at four locations—Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik—where the festival has been held for centuries on a rotational basis. However, the Prayagraj event is regarded as the most significant and grand.

As the festival continues until February 26, colorful processions have heralded the arrival of 13 akharas, ancient monastic warrior sects. Historically, these groups have fiercely competed, sometimes violently, over who gets to bathe first in the sacred waters.

This year’s celebrations are expected to surpass previous ones in scale and significance, both religiously and politically. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), currently ruling both Uttar Pradesh and the central government, has emphasized the festival as a symbol of Hindu unity and strength, investing heavily in its organization. Reports indicate that over 70 billion rupees (£670 million) have been allocated for infrastructure and sanitation, with promotional materials prominently featuring the faces of Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, the festival has seen increased polarization. Reports claim Muslim vendors and taxi drivers have been barred from participating or serving Hindu pilgrims, which has raised concerns among community leaders.

Mahant Durganand Brahmachari, a senior priest, described the Kumbh Mela as “a great convergence of humans, gods, and sacred rivers,” criticizing efforts to create religious divisions. He emphasized the importance of peaceful coexistence and condemned attempts to incite Hindu-Muslim tensions.

This year’s event has also integrated digital innovations to address logistical challenges. A Kumbh Mela mobile app helps pilgrims navigate the vast festival area, while an AI-powered chatbot available in 11 languages answers logistical and spiritual queries via WhatsApp. To prevent pilgrims from getting lost, each attendee receives a radio frequency wristband. Security and movement will be monitored with thousands of drones, and a drone-based light show will depict stories from Hindu mythology.

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