The largest religious gathering in the world, the Maha Kumbh Mela, has begun in India

Monday January 13, 2025 kicked off in India on Maha Kumbh Mela (literally “Great Jug Festival”), a religious event Hindu which celebrates the human quest for spiritual liberation thanks to the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth. This is the largest spiritual gathering in the world, which is held every 12 years, lasts 45 days and this year awaits around 400 million pilgrims in the sacred place called Triveni Sangamor “confluence of three rivers”, a Prayagraj – in the region ofUttar PradeshNorthern India – where the waters of the sacred rivers flow Ganges And Yamuna and the mythological Saraswati, invisible watercourse recognized by the Hindu religion.

What is Maha Kumbh Mela and why is it great in 2025

Hindu tradition has it that, in the mists of time, the Deva gods and the Asura antigods began the eternal struggle to decide the destiny of the world, and discovered that to emerge victorious they had to conquer a vase full of sacred nectar which guaranteed immortality. It was the god Vishnu who snatched this “jug” from the hands of the demons, and began the journey to salvation. But, during the fight, a few drops of this nectar fell in four places of theIndia: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, today sacred destinations for Hindus.

So the festival is held in one of these four locations, but how do you decide which one? Timing and location of Maha Kumbh Mela are decided based on astronomical position of the Sun and Moon – which must be aligned in Capricorn – and of Jupiterwhich must be placed in the sign of Taurus. The sacred place of destination is then chosen based on the planetary alignments: only this specific context allows – according to tradition – the waters of the rivers to take on “divine” properties and therefore allow the spiritual purification to those who dive.

The convergence that is occurring these days is an exceptional event: the Sun, Moon and Jupiter align in this way only every 144 yearswhich is why this edition of the festival is exceptional and takes the name of Maha, or “great” in Hindi.

How the Kumbh Mela is celebrated and what is done: sacred baths, songs and rituals

A few days before the start of the festival, which consists of a mass pilgrimage to Prayagrai, 2 and a half million people have already arrived in the city, ready to immerse themselves in the waters.

In the next 45 days, 400 million people are expected in Prayagrai – about seven times the inhabitants of Italy, so to speak – to celebrate something that is not only a spiritual festivalbut it is a real opportunity to cultural and interreligious exchangea unique blend of ideas, customs and traditions.

The most important ritual of all is obviously the sacred bathit Shahi Snan: during this practice, the holy men – i sadhu – lead the procession towards the river with their bodies covered in ash, to symbolize the victory of supreme good over evil.

Not only sacred dips and purification, but also practices meditationdialogues and events of meeting between different cultures, devotional songsAnd worship rituals in which flames produced from fiery camphor are presented to the deities.

The numbers of the event: participants, organisation, logistics and security of the Maha Kumbh Mela

The region ofUttar Pradesh has decided to entrust entrust to‘artificial intelligence some aspects of organisation, traffic management, tourist reception and access to sacred areas.

The recorded and processed data also allow you to monitor security systems – including cameras, aerial and underwater drones – and to improve logistics and transport efficiency.

It is estimated that they are involved in the management of the event over 100,000 peopleof which 40,000 belonging to the police forces, to contain the influx of 400 million of pilgrims and gods 2 million inhabitants of Prayagraj.

For the living quarters, additions were installed 150,000 tents, 3000 kitchens And 99 parking spaces for cars and coaches, covering an area of over 40 km2.

But this year the monsoon season is lasting longer than expected, and the rains have slowed down the first operations. Meanwhile, the pilgrims continue to arrive, and India is preparing, once again, to celebrate a timeless tradition under the gaze of the whole world.