On Tuesday, naked Hindu ascetics and pilgrims plunged into the freezing waters at the confluence of sacred rivers in northern India, marking the first major bathing day of the Maha Kumbh festival. This festival, recognized as the largest religious congregation on Earth, attracts millions of devotees. At the sacred site in the northern city of Prayagraj, the holy men, adorned with tridents, swords, and drums, initiated their ritual at sunrise by chanting slogans dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Shiva while marching toward the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
The Maha Kumbh festival, held every 12 years, officially commenced on Monday with over 15 million pilgrims participating in the sacred baths, according to officials. Over the six-week span, the festival is anticipated to draw over 400 million attendees, who will engage in elaborate religious rituals. Bathing in these holy waters is believed to purify sins and free individuals from the cycle of rebirth, a core tenet of Hindu spirituality.
The origin of the festival is rooted in a Hindu legend where the god Vishnu retrieved a golden pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from demons. According to tradition, drops of this nectar are believed to have fallen in the four cities where the Kumbh festival has been celebrated for centuries: Prayagraj, Nasik, Ujjain, and Haridwar. The Kumbh Mela rotates among these pilgrimage sites approximately every three years, with the dates determined by the alignment of celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, and Jupiter.
This year’s Maha Kumbh festival is hailed as the most significant and grandest celebration to date. Authorities have established an extensive tented city along the riverbanks to accommodate the influx of holy men, pilgrims, and tourists. The Indian government has invested over $765 million to ensure a successful event, aimed at captivating the predominantly Hindu population and attracting international visitors.
The tent city features 3,000 kitchens and 150,000 toilets and urinals, along with a robust security presence of approximately 50,000 personnel to ensure safety and manage the large crowds. Various groups of Hindu ascetics have set up elaborate camps at the venue, where tens of thousands of pilgrims gather to partake in religious discourses and prayers. The ascetics, known as Naga Sadhus, belong to religious orders that historically functioned as mercenary forces and have a deep reverence for Lord Shiva.
Bathing rituals occur daily, with the most auspicious dates drawing the most devotees to the rivers at dawn. Many pilgrims choose to stay for the entirety of the festival, engaging in acts of austerity, giving alms, and bathing at sunrise every day. These river baths, alongside prayer, meditation, and yoga sessions, are led by Hindu ascetics and receive financial support from public funds.
