Millions of Hindu Devotees Flock to India for World’s Largest Religious Gathering
The world’s biggest religious gathering, the Maha Kumbh Mela, has begun in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, with millions of devotees expected to attend the six-week festival. The festival, held every 12 years, is considered the largest gathering of the Kumbh Mela, which is held every three years in one of four cities.
Devotees will bathe in the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of three holy rivers, to purify their sins and take a step closer to spiritual liberation. The Kumbh Mela is rooted in Hindu mythology, with the story of demons and gods fighting over a pitcher containing the elixir of immortality.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited people from around the world to attend the festival, recognized by UNESCO in 2017 as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity.” The event is being promoted as a cultural spectacle that has attracted Bollywood and Hollywood stars in the past.
The festival has taken years of planning and millions of dollars to build facilities for the influx of visitors. The city of Prayagraj, previously known as Allahabad, has been transformed with around 160,000 tents, 150,000 toilets, and a 776-mile drinking water pipeline.
To ensure safety, authorities have put in place extra measures, including a security ring with checkpoints, 2,700 security cameras powered by artificial intelligence, aerial drones, and underwater drones. The government has also added 3,000 special trains and 13,100 train services to facilitate travel.
The festival is expected to end on February 26, with vast numbers of pilgrims expected to travel to the region by train. The Indian government has added 14 new flyovers and underpasses, 11 new road corridors, 7,000 buses, 550 shuttle buses, and 30 pontoon bridges to improve connectivity.
With millions of people expected to attend, the Maha Kumbh Mela is set to be a major cultural and religious event that will showcase the diversity and complexity of Hinduism.