The Maha Kumbh Mela in India: An Overview of the Biggest Human Gathering

NEW DELHI - 13 JAN - India’s Maha Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu festival, began on January 13 in Prayagraj, drawing over 400 million visitors over six weeks. This event, considered the world’s largest gathering of people, occurs every 12 years and attracts worshippers from around the world. Devout Hindus believe that bathing in the sacred rivers during the Kumbh Mela purifies the soul and brings salvation. The festival’s origins trace back to the Rigveda, where the Kumbh, or pitcher of immortality, spilled nectar at four holy locations—Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain—leading to the tradition of taking a "Shahi Snaan" or royal bath at these sites.

Organizing the Kumbh Mela is an enormous logistical task, with authorities setting up 150,000 tents and providing electricity, sanitation, and security measures for millions of pilgrims. In addition to religious followers, celebrities and spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama, have attended in the past. The event’s vast scale has earned it recognition as part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. To ensure safety, the festival will be monitored with drones and surveillance cameras, following past incidents of stampedes.