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Millions gather for India's first Maha Kumbh Mela in 144 years
The Guardian
|January 14, 2025
The world's largest religious gathering kicked off yesterday as millions of Hindu devotees gathered on the banks of the Ganges in India to mark the start of the Maha Kumbh Mela.
The Kumbh Mela pilgrimage takes place every 12 years and is widely seen as the "festival of festivals" in the Hindu religious calendar in India, attended by a vibrant mix of sadhus or holy men, ascetics, pilgrims and tourists.
This year's celebration is particularly significant as the Maha, or grand, Kumbh Mela only takes place every 144 years, marking the 12th Kumbh Mela and a celestial alignment of the sun, moon and Jupiter.
More than 400 million people, the biggest crowd in its history, are expected to attend this year's festivities, which will be held over 45 days in Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Prayagraj is home to Triveni Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers. Over the course of the gathering, there are several shahi snan, holy bathing days when the devotees immerse themselves in the waters in the belief it will purify the soul.
This story is from the January 14, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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