The festival is a series of ritual baths performed by Hindu sadhus, or saints and other pilgrims, at the confluence of three sacred rivers, and its origins date back to at least the Middle Ages. Hindus believe that the mythical Saraswati river once flowed from the Himalayas through Prayagraj, where it joined the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Bathing takes place daily, but on the most auspicious days, naked monks covered in ash rush toward the sacred river at dawn. Many pilgrims stay throughout the festival, observing penance, giving alms, and taking a daily bath at sunrise.
“We feel peace here and find relief from the cycle of life and death,” said pilgrim Bhagwat Prasad Tiwari.
The festival has its roots in a Hindu tradition in which Lord Vishnu snatched a golden pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from the devil. Hindus believe that the drops fell on four cities – Prayagraj, Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar, where Kumbh festivals have been held for centuries.
The Kumbh tours these four pilgrimage sites approximately every three years on astrologically determined dates. This year’s festival is the largest and grandest of all. In 2019, a smaller version of the festival called Ardo Kumbh (Half Kumbh) was held and recorded 240 million visitors, with around 50 million people attending the ceremonial event on the busiest day. took a bath.
