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By Lilith Foster-Collins
News Reporter
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Millions of Hindu devotees, mystics and holy men and women have flocked to the northern Indian city of Prayagraj on Monday to kickstart the world's largest religious gathering.
Why It Matters
The Maha Kumbh festival is expected to include at least 400 million people—more than the population of the United States—according to officials.
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That is around 200 times the number of pilgrims that arrived in the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage last year.
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What To Know
Hindu pilgrims gather at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers, seeking liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
Hindus revere rivers, especially the Ganges and Yamuna, believing bathing in them can cleanse sins and end reincarnation, especially during the Maha Kumbh Mela, a festival held every 12 years.
The festival has its roots in a Hindu tradition that says the god Vishnu wrested a golden pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from demons.
These drops are believed to have fallen in Prayagraj, Nasik, Ujjain, and Haridwar, the four rotating festival sites.
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A smaller festival, Ardh Kumbh, held in 2019, drew 240 million visitors, with 50 million bathing on the busiest day.
Preparing for the Festival
A vast tent city has been built along the riverbanks, spanning 15 square miles and divided into 25 sections with 3,000 kitchens, 150,000 restrooms, housing, roads, electricity, water, communication towers, and 11 hospitals.
Murals of Hindu scriptures adorn city walls.
Indian Railways added over 90 special trains making 3,300 trips for devotees.
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Around 50,000 security personnel, up 50 percent from 2019, have been deployed for crowd control.
Over 2,500 cameras, some AI-powered, monitor crowd movement and will alert control rooms to prevent stampedes.
Modi's Support Base
India's leaders have long used the festival to strengthen ties with the country's Hindu majority, nearly 80 percent of its 1.4 billion people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it central to his Hindu nationalist agenda.
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The state of Uttar Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Adityanath, a prominent Hindu monk and hard-line politician in Modi's party, has leveraged the event with giant billboards and posters showcasing both leaders alongside slogans promoting government welfare policies.
What People Are Saying
Bhagwat Prasad Tiwari, a pilgrim said: "We feel peaceful here and attain salvation from the cycles of life and death."
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What Happens Next
The Maha Kumbh festival will take place over the next six weeks.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
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