Maha Kumbh Mela: World's largest gathering begins in India

Local officials said late on Monday that six times more people than expected took a dip in cold river waters on the first day of festivities in Prayagraj.

State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said 15 million Hindu devotees "earned the holy benefit of bathing in the uninterrupted and clean Triveni," referring to the meeting point of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers.

The once-every-12-year festival often attracts up to 400 million people, from India and abroad, but fewer tend to brave the waters on the coldest month of the year in the northern Uttar Pradesh region. 

Officials had only predicted that around 2.5 million people might bathe in the rivers, amid traditional claims of this action absolving sins, on the opening day. 

Tuesday is set aside as a "royal bath," where only Hindu ascetics — also sometimes referred to as sannyasis or yogis — are permitted to bathe.

Sitaram Jadav, a retired police constable from Gaya district in Bihar, is leading a group of 50 devotees to the Maha Kumbh. 

As the festival crowd swells and accommodation becomes scarce, the group is left with no option but to spend the night under the open sky.

"We are poor and cannot afford to set up a tent. For food, we have brought homemade snacks, as eating out would be too expensive," said Rajkumar Yadav, a devotee from the group. 

As millions of devotees gather on the banks of the Ganges for the Maha Kumbh festival, they offer prayers by throwing flowers and lamps into the river.

Meanwhile, an army of sanitation workers tirelessly collects the flowers and other waste from the water.

Anil Kumar, a 19-year-old sanitation worker, along with four members of his family, will be cleaning the river for the next 45 days.

"We are getting paid 12,000 rupees a month, but more than the money, it is our devotion that brought us here," he tells me. Parts of the Ganges, along with the Yamuna, remain among the most polluted rivers in India.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of humanity, with over 400 million people expected to attend — which is more or less equivalent to the combined population of the US and Canada.

The festival takes place over a period of 45 days, in several locations along major rivers in central and northern India.

"Maha" stands for great or grand, and "Kumbh" literally means pot. The festival is rooted in the Hindu myth of a battle between gods and demons over a pot containing the elixir of immortality. 

As the story goes, a few drops of the elixir spilled over in Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. Prayagraj, which hosts the "great" festival every 12 years, tends to draw the biggest crowds.

An "ardh," or half Kumbh, is celebrated at the halfway mark between the two festivals in various locations.

During the festival, devotees gather at the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati to take a holy dip in the water. Devotees believe this will absolve them of sins and grant them "moksha" or salvation. 

The key bathing ritual days, "shahi snan," occur on January 14, January 29 and February 3.

Edited by: Alex Berry

The Maha Kumbh Mela festivities take place in Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh every 12 years, although smaller Kumbh Melas take place in other locations on a more regular basis.

 

DW correspondent Adil Bhat was in Prayagraj, where he described the atmosphere as "electrifying."

"There is joy and excitement...everywhere you look, you see a burst of bright colors — devotees dressed in bright clothes, naked sadhus (holy men) covered in ash, and people offering prayers. You can feel the joy and celebration in the air."

Bhat said it was his first time at Maha Kumbh Mela. He added that despite the excitement, the ubiquitous political messaging lent some dark undertones to the festivities.

He described seeing many "billboards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Both belong to the ruling Hindu-nationalist BJP party. Many critics argue that this is quite a telling sign that they are at the helm of affairs of this religious festival —  a significant change from the last Maha Kumbh held in 2013."

Ramesh and Manju, a farmer couple from the eastern state of Odisha saved up to attend the mela. "I consider my wife a goddess who convinced me to take this holy journey," Ramesh told DW's Adil Bhat. 

Bhat said the tent area is plastered with billboards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. But Ramesh does not mind the political undertones of the festival, Bhat said.

India spent around 7 billion rupees ($81 million, €79 million) on setting up the event. Government estimates say the event could boost the economy by 2 trillion rupees if every one of the 400 million expected visitors spends an average of 5,000 rupees per day, Indian media reported.

Indian news agency IANS was even more optimistic, citing industry estimates that put per-person expenditure up to 10,000 rupees per day.

A food and hospitality boom is expected with homestays, tents and food courts popping up across the area. 

Police have arranged for centers to reunite people who get separated from their family members at the event. DW's Charu Kartikeya has been on the ground and said that the centers seem to be very busy.

"We have been here for about 4 hours now and these loudspeakers announcing the names of those who got separated from their families have not gone silent for even a minute," Kartikeya said.

"A tall tower and a microphone have been set up near the police assistance booth where people are coming to make the announcements and asking their near and dear ones to assemble near the tower."

"Officials told us that there was a long queue in the early hours. Only now has the queue dwindled as most of those who got lost were reunited with their families," he added.

The Maha Kumbh Mela draws many Hindu ascetics and saints, including the Naga Sadhus. These saints are a prominent sight at the mela, as they come naked and smeared in ash, sporting dreadlocks and wearing jewelry made from "rudraksha," a naturally occurring dry fruit.

With chilly temperatures in Prayagraj, many devotees shiver to take the holy dip in the waters. But Naga Sadhus seem comfortable and rarely show signs of feeling cold.

It is believed that they are able to regulate their body temperature through yoga and breathing techniques. The ash used to cover their bodies also helps protect them from the cold.

The Maha Kumbh Mela began in Prayagraj in India's Uttar Pradesh state on Monday, as millions gathered for the Hindu festival.

Tens of thousands of Hindus dipped into freezing waters at the confluence of holy rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati, also known as the "triveni sangam."

"A very special day for crores of people who cherish Bharatiya values and culture!" Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. A crore is the equivalent of ten million in the Indian numbering system. 

The six-week festival was inaugurated by Hindu monk and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday. "All the revered saints, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come to experience unity in diversity, to meditate and take a holy bath at the confluence of faith and modernity are heartily welcomed. May Maa Ganga fulfill all your wishes," he said. 

About 40,000 security forces are on duty to safeguard and manage the crowds. Authorities are also deploying surveillance cameras with AI capabilities.

About 2.5 million people are expected to attend Monday's first ritual bath.

"I am excited but now scared because I didn't expect this crowd. This is my first Kumbh and I came here only because my mother is very spiritual," Priyanka Rajput from Delhi told Reuters. 

The river banks were covered with some 150,000 tents, and 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 toilets and 99 parking lots have been installed for the pilgrims.