I've always had a deep fascination with India

Amol Rajan takes a special trip to India in memory of his father.

- By RICHARD JONES

For his BBC2 series Amol Rajan Interviews, the journalist has become an expert at getting inside the minds of era-defining pioneers, game-changers, leaders and maverick thinkers.

Now, in this one-off documentary, he is opening up about his own life as he joins the biggest gathering on Earth - the Maha Kumbh Mela Festival in northern India.

Taking place once every 12 years, the event is considered a once-in-a-lifetime event and sees up to 500 million pilgrims from all over the globe take holy dips in sacred rivers, believing it purifies sins, gains salvation for themselves and their families, and brings them closer to spiritual liberation.