Maha Kumbh Mela involves a series of ritual baths by Hindu sadhus, or holy men, and other pilgrims at the point where the mythical Saraswati river is believed to meet the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
The place where the three rivers converge is considered the holiest in Hindu faith and submerging oneself there is believed to cleanse sins and bring salvation.
The most auspicious days occur in cycles of 12 years during the Maha Kumbh Mela, which runs from Monday (Jan 13) to Feb 26 this year.
Bathing takes place every day of the festival, but on the most auspicious dates, monks will charge toward the holy rivers at dawn, naked and with ash-smeared on their bodies.
In 2017, UNESCO placed the Kumbh Mela on its listing of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The festival is so vast that it has been captured by satellites in space.
How did it come about?
The festival is rooted in the Hindu belief that the god Vishunu spilled drops of the elixir of immortality from his “kumbh” – pitcher – during a celestial battle.
The fight spanned 12 days, the equivalent of 12 human years, which is why a Maha Kumbh Mela is held in 12 year cycles.
During the battle, drops of the elixir are believed to have fallen at four places – Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain.
A Kumbh Mela is held in these cities every three years in rotation on a date prescribed by astrology. However, a Maha Kumbh Mala, which is prefixed with the term “maha” or great, is considered more auspicious and attracts the largest number of worshipers.
What makes this year’s festival unique is that the current alignment of planets and stars is identical to what existed at the moment of the spill, said Hindu seer Mahant Ravindra Puri, as reported by BBC.
“Such perfection is being observed after 12 Kumbh festivals or 144 years,” he said.
Why is the festival significant for India’s leaders?
For Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), this year’s Maha Kumbh Mela plays an integral role in their Hindu nationalism agenda.
About 80 per cent of the country’s population are Hindus and Modi’s administration has been prioritising its Hindu right-wing agenda over the last few years.
While the event will help add to the BJP’s record of promoting Hindu cultural symbols for their support base, experts believe the government also hopes the festival brings attention to religious tourism.
More than US$765 million was allocated for the festival and state authorities are hoping that it will rake in US$25 billion in revenue.
