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.

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This story was covered by 9 sources. This shows the distribution of these sources: left-leaning (blue), center (gray), and right-leaning (red).

World

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The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.

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Summary

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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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From the Left

A recap of the main views or arguments shared by left-leaning sources.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is depicted as the world's largest religious gathering, attracting millions of Hindu devotees representing spiritual devotion and cultural heritage.
The event is seen as a manifestation of Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, with state resources extensively mobilized to showcase the festival.
Concerns are raised over the political implications of the festival, including the renaming of Prayagraj and criticisms regarding the exclusion of Muslim vendors and the politicization of religious symbols.

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Highlights (8)

Excerpts from the underlying articles that best reflect each outlet's unique perspective on this story.

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
Al Jazeera
Reliable
The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.
·Leans Left
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
NBC News
Reliable
The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.
·Center
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
NPR
Reliable
The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.
·Center
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
BBC News
Reliable
The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.
·Center
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
The Guardian
Reliable
The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.
·Leans Left
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
CNN
Reliable
The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.
·Leans Left
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
TIME Magazine
Reliable
The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.
·Leans Left
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the festival has become an integral part of its advocacy of Hindu nationalism.
India kicks off a massive Hindu festival touted as the world's largest religious gathering
Associated Press
Reliable
The underlying sources consistently report facts with minimal bias. They demonstrate high-quality journalism and accuracy across multiple articles.
·Center