Hundreds of millions are expected to flock to Prayagraj, located in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, as the Maha Kumbh Mela kicked off on Monday.
The 45 day event occurs once every 12 years, but what makes this year’s Kumbh Mela so maha, so great? For starters, it’s been 144 (or 12 times 12) years in the making and occurs under a unique alignment of Jupiter, the sun, and moon. Not only that, but the Maha Kumbh Mela is projected to make history as the world’s largest gathering of humans in one area with over 400 million devotees, pilgrims, ascetics, and tourists expected.
But what is the Kumbh Mela? The Kumbh Mela isn’t a singular festival constrained to a specific location; rather, it rotates between four cities – Nashik, located in Maharashtra; Ujjain, located in Madhya Pradesh; Haridwar, located in Uttarakhand; and Prayagraj, located in Uttar Pradesh and the site of this year’s Kumbh Mela – every 12 years. In between each Kumbh Mela is an Ardh Kumbh Mela, literally “half” Kumbh Mela.
While stories over the origin of the Kumbh Mela vary, many believe that during the churning of the Milk Ocean – or samudra manthanam (literally “ocean churning”) – in Hindu religious belief, four drops of nectar spilled from Lord Vishnu’s hands during the 12-day long struggle between the gods – or devas – and demons – asuras – for this nectar and fell to Earth in four locations: Nashik, Ujjain, Haridwar, and Prayagraj.
When it comes to celebrating the Kumbh Mela, however, the practices are much more uniform and agreed upon. One of the most key aspects of the Kumbh Mela are the shahi snans, or special days in which ascetics and devotees will take a dip in the holy waters of Prayagraj. What makes these snans – or baths – even more special, though, is the fact that the Prayagraj is located at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati, or the Triveni Sangam, making it all the more religiously meaningful.
The Maha Kumbh Mela also attracts countless devotees and, more importantly, ascetics from all corners of the world. One of the most noteworthy groups attending the mela, or festival, are the famed 13 akharas, or sects of ascetics.
To make all of this even more religiously significant, the Maha Kumbh Mela, which runs from January 13 to February 26, spans across several of the biggest Hindu festivals, including Makar Sankranti, or Pongal, from January 13-15 and Maha Shivaratri on February 26.
In addition to being a tremendous moment religiously, the Maha Kumbh Mela is also a testament to the efficacy of the Indian government.
In preparation for the humongous crowds drawn by the Kumbh Mela, the government constructed a temporary city spanning across 9900 acres with 150,000 tents, 145,000 restrooms, 450,000 new electricity connections, 3000 kitchens, and 99 parking lots. Furthermore, 98 new trains to Prayagraj with 3300 projected trips and 403 miles of new roads were added, in addition to 40,000 security and police officers and 15,000 sanitation workers. 67,000 street lights, 25,000 trash cans, 30 floating bridges across the river, 85 tube wells, and 200 water ATMs were also constructed.
The entire project had an estimated cost of $812 million USD, or 70 billion rupees (INR), and projected revenue of $2.9 billion USD, or 250 billion rupees – an over 250% return on investment (ROI).
To top it all off, the Maha Kumbh Mela has been declared an “Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO.
At every imaginable scale – economic, social, religious, political, the Maha Kumbh Mela proves to truly be maha, setting world records, generating immense revenue for the government, and attracting devotees from around the world for a shared moment of prayer.
And in a world where costs continue to skyrocket, where stress and poor mental health relentlessly rise, where both domestic and international tensions grow at every turn, perhaps this moment of unity and celebration is just what we need to set the tone for 2025 – a year where, instead of letting our differences divide us, we let them draw us together.
