Maha Kumbh Mela Begins in Prayagraj, India, Drawing 400 Million Devotees
The Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India, has begun, expecting 400 million attendees seeking spiritual purification by bathing in sacred rivers over six weeks.
The Maha Kumbh Mela festival, touted as the world’s largest religious gathering, highlights the profound devotion and spiritual fervor of millions of Hindu devotees, mystics, and holy figures coming together for this remarkable event.
Photos: India kicks off a huge Hindu festival
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the Maha Kumbh festival, which is being touted as the world’s largest religious gathering.
India kicks off a massive Hindu festival touted as the world’s largest religious gathering
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But under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the festival has become an integral part of its advocacy of Hindu nationalism.
India kicks off a Hindu festival touted as the world's largest religious gathering
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Millions of people are gathering in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh state to participate in the Mahakumbh Mela, the world's largest gathering of humanity.
Mahakumbh Mela in photos: World's biggest religious festival begins in India
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The scale and grandeur of this year’s festivities is expected to exceed all previous iterations, in a nod to the Kumbh Mela’s religious but also political significance.
India’s Maha Kumbh Mela festival gets under way for first time in 144 years
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Indian Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi has invited people from all over the world to attend the festival, recognized by UNESCO in 2017 as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity."
One of the world’s greatest religious spectacles is underway and the numbers are staggering
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But under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the festival has become an integral part of its advocacy of Hindu nationalism.
Maha Kumbh Mela: What to Know About the Indian Festival
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India kicks off a massive Hindu festival touted as the world's largest religious gathering
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Summary
The Maha Kumbh Mela has commenced in Prayagraj, India, attracting an expected 400 million pilgrims over six weeks. This festival, the world’s largest religious gathering, focuses on spiritual purification through bathing at the confluence of the sacred Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. Extensive arrangements have been made by authorities, including a vast tent city and enhanced security measures. The festival is scrutinized for its political implications, given its ties to the ruling BJP government and Hindu nationalism, as Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Adityanath promote the event.
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History
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