India's Maha Kumbh festival: The world's largest gathering in pictures

This is what the Kumbh Mela is all about: The Hindu ascetic, or sadhu, is washing his sins away in a ritual bath in the sacred waters of Sangam. The Sangam is the confluence of the most sacred rivers in Hinduism: the Ganges, the Yamuna and Saraswati, which only exists in mythology.

Millions of devout Hindus gather for the Kumbh Mela festival, which takes place every 12 years. It is the largest religious festival in the world. In 2019, around 200 million pilgrims attended the Maha Kumbh Mela. Organizers expect 350 to 400 million people in 2025. By comparison, around 2 million Muslims participate in Saudi Arabia's annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Kumbh Mela occurs when Jupiter, the sun and the moon are aligned. This year, however, they are joined by Venus, Mars and Saturn in a constellation that only occurs every 144 years. That's why the Maha Kumbh Mela, the Great Kumbh Mela, is being celebrated in 2025. This worker is helping to set up one of the around 150,000 tents for the festival.

Preparations for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 took two years. An entire 40 square-kilometer (24 square-mile) temporary city for millions was created and includes 3,000 communal kitchens, 150,000 toilets and 68,000 light poles. The number of visitors is spread over 45 festival days. However, India's authorities expect 50 million visitors on the holiest days.

People from all over the world flock to the festival grounds in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) in the state of Uttar Pradesh by plane, bus, rickshaw, or bicycle. The Indian railroads run 98 special trains to accommodate the crowds. Many pilgrims also walk for weeks to participate in the festival.

Three women pictured here have already taken their ritual baths. The festival dates back thousands of years. According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons once fought over a jug (Hindi: Kumbh) of immortality potion. Hindus believe that the ritual bath takes them a step closer to nirvana, the eternal paradise in Hindu belief.

Pilgrims take to the water for six days. According to the state government of Uttar Pradesh, around 6 million devotees had already dipped in the river by Monday morning (January 13, 2025). However, late January's new moon ritual ablution is considered particularly auspicious. It is the highlight of the festival. 

Rescue workers steer a ferry across the Sangam. Around 40,000 police officers have been deployed to monitor and control the crowds during the six-week festival. The Indian police announced they would carry out "tireless patrols day and night to ensure maximum security for the event."

India's Hindu nationalist government has used the monumentous gathering as a promotion opportunity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi overlooks the festival grounds from this poster. Modi spoke of a "divine event" that brings together "countless people in a sacred interplay of faith, devotion and culture." 

India is currently in its winter season. The lowest temperatures in Prayagraj are below 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). Also, the water is freezing cold. But various Indian media quote pilgrims who say that faith warms from within.