India’s Festival of Maha Kumbh Mela underway for the first time in 144 years

The largest religious gathering in the world commenced on Monday as millions of Hindu followers convened along the banks of the Ganges River in India to celebrate the start of the Maha Kumbh Mela. This pilgrimage occurs every 12 years and is regarded as the "festival of festivals" within the Hindu religious calendar in India, attracting a diverse array of sadhus, ascetics, pilgrims, and tourists.

This year's event holds particular importance, as the Maha or Grand Kumbh Mela happens only once every 144 years, marking the 12th Kumbh Mela alongside a unique celestial alignment of the sun, moon, and Jupiter. An unprecedented 400 million attendees are anticipated for this year's celebrations, which will unfold over 45 days in Prayagraj, located in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

To accommodate the pilgrims and tourists, a vast tent city, sread over 4,000 hectares, has been set up on the banks of the river.

But on Sunday, just hours before proceedings were due to begin, many parts of the sprawling grounds in Prayagraj still appeared to be a work in progress.

Some of the camps set up by saints and other worshippers had no water and intermittent power supplies.

For the devout, it carries profound meaning – they believe the waters become infused with the purity of the saints' thoughts and actions.

Over the weekend, groups of holy men arrived at the mela grounds in vibrant, noisy processions.

One group of ash-smeared individuals, some unclothed and others clad only in loincloths or adorned with marigold garlands, advanced while wielding tridents, swords, and small two-headed drums.

Another group featured its leaders on chariots, welcomed to their campsite with a grand procession that included a music band, dancers, horses, and camels.