The Kumbh Mela is the largest peaceful gathering on Earth

UNESCO calls the Kumbh Mela - the “festival of the sacred Pitcher” - the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth. Devotees gather to bathe in a holy river, believing the dip washes away sin and frees them from the cycle of birth and death.

The festival rotates between four riverside cities: Prayagraj (Allahabad), Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain. Its timing is astronomical, fixed by the positions of the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter, with the grandest gatherings recurring roughly every 12 years.

The numbers defy comparison. The 2019 event at Prayagraj drew more than 200 million people, including some 50 million on its single most auspicious day. UNESCO inscribed the Kumbh Mela on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.