Tens of thousands of Hindus gathered in Prayagraj on Monday to begin the Maha Kumbh Mela, a six-week festival attracting over 400 million visitors. Devotees immerse in the sacred rivers seeking absolution during the religious event held every 12 years.
Tens of thousands of Hindus braved freezing waters on Monday at the confluence of sacred rivers in Prayagraj, India, marking the start of the six-week Maha Kumbh Mela festival. This religious event, held once every 12 years, is expected to draw over 400 million visitors from around the world, making it the largest human gathering on the planet.
With as many as 40,000 police officers providing security and surveillance cameras equipped with artificial intelligence to monitor crowds, the authorities are preparing for an influx of visitors. The festival kicked off with the first ritual dip, attracting over 2.5 million people, followed by a "royal bath" reserved for ascetics on Tuesday. Participants believe these baths cleanse them of sins and offer salvation from the cycle of life and death.
Among the crowds, ascetic Hazari Lala Mishra expressed the deep significance of the event, saying it was a festival for hermits and monks. "We wait for it desperately," he added. Many attendees, like Priyanka Rajput, who visited with her spiritual mother, found the experience both exciting and overwhelming.
The origins of the Kumbh Mela trace back to Hindu mythology, where four drops of the nectar of immortality fell to Earth during a celestial battle, marking the festival's locations in Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. The Maha Kumbh, held once every 12 years, is particularly auspicious, drawing the largest crowds.
To manage the massive influx of people, authorities have set up a temporary city along the riverbanks, featuring 150,000 tents, 3,000 kitchens, and 145,000 restrooms. Indian Railways has also increased train services to accommodate festivalgoers. With the festival representing both a religious and cultural celebration, it offers a test in crowd management for the Indian government, which is working to balance logistical efforts with maintaining the event's sacred significance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Hindu nationalist party governs Uttar Pradesh, praised the Kumbh Mela for embodying India’s spiritual heritage, emphasizing the festival’s importance in promoting faith and harmony.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know....
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over a...
Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said, as Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy i...
Egypt secured their first World Cup knockout-stage victory by beating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Arlington, Texas....
Defending champions Argentina needed an extra-time own goal to beat Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday and reach the World Cup last 16, while Colombia advanced ...
India and the U.S. are close to finalising a long-awaited trade agreement, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday after the latest round of negotiations with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS security advisers’ meeting, in the latest sign of gradual efforts to stabilise ties after years of border tensions.
At least 12 students have died after a fire broke out in a building in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, authorities said. Most of the victims were teenagers attending an animation centre in the building when the blaze began.
A territory-wide shutdown has brought daily life in Pakistan-administered Kashmir to a standstill following the deadliest unrest in years, which has left at least 24 people dead over nearly two weeks of protests.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Eight Buddhist monks were killed and more than 20 others injured after an 11-year-old boy driving his parents' pickup truck ploughed into a religious procession in north-eastern Thailand, police said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said, as Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure continued to add pressure to fuel supplies inside Russia.
World Athletics has reaffirmed its decision to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes excluded from international competition, saying there has been no meaningful progress towards peace in Ukraine.
Peru’s electoral authority has declared right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori the winner of the country’s presidential election, weeks after a closely contested run-off vote against left-wing rival Roberto Sanchez.
Singapore has reported a data exposure affecting 70,000 people after unauthorised access to a dataset in an IBM-managed cloud environment, according to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). The authority said operational systems and property records remain secure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment