New Delhi: Touted as an event for spiritual purification in Hinduism, Kumbh Mela takes place approximately every 12 years at four locations - Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik - in rotation. Meanwhile, Maha Kumbh Mela or the Great Pitcher Festival which began on Monday in Prayagraj is a once-in-every 144 years event, The 44-day pilgrim fair will conclude on February 26 and is expected to draw more than 400 million visitors to the northern city of Uttar Pradesh making for the largest gathering of humanity in the world.

Devout Hindus believe that taking a dip in the sacred rivers absolves people of sins, and such dips during the Kumbh Mela also bring salvation from the cycle of life and death.

Hindu pilgrims wait in a queue outside a temple to offer prayers after taking a holy dip in the sacred waters of Sangam, the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival. Photo: MOHAMMED / AFP
Hindu pilgrims wait in a queue outside a temple to offer prayers after taking a holy dip in the sacred waters of Sangam, the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival. Photo: MOHAMMED / AFP

How did it start?
Its origin stems from the Rigveda text of Hindu scriptures. The word 'kumbh' refers to a pitcher containing the elixir of immortality that emerged during a divine event called the 'Sagar Manthan' or churning of the cosmic ocean.

A woman breaks down after she lost her husband during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj. Photo: R.Satish BABU / AFP
A woman breaks down after she lost her husband during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj. Photo: R.Satish BABU / AFP
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During a celestial battle for the elixir that spanned 12 days in divine time, equivalent to 12 human years, drops of the nectar fell at four places - Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain - which became the venues for the Kumbh Mela.

Here, devotees from different Hindu sects, or Akharas, join in grand processions to take the 'Shahi Snaan' or royal bath, when they take a dip in the sacred river.

Hindu holy men or Sadhus walk in a religious procession of Atal Akhara, ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj. Photo: Niharika KULKARNI / AFP
Hindu holy men or Sadhus walk in a religious procession of Atal Akhara, ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj. Photo: Niharika KULKARNI / AFP

The grand spectacle attracts millions who come not just for the ritual, but also hoping for a glimpse of thousands of ascetics, often clad in traditional saffron attire, who immerse themselves in near-freezing temperatures.

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Who will attend?
Officials in Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, expect more than 400 million to swarm the large, temporary city set up on the banks where the Ganga and Yamuna rivers meet the Saraswati, a mythical, invisible river.

A Hindu pilgrim takes a holy dip in the sacred waters of Sangam, the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj. Photo: Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP
A Hindu pilgrim takes a holy dip in the sacred waters of Sangam, the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj. Photo: Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP

Among them are sadhus, who follow a strict path of spiritual discipline and hermits who leave their secluded lives for cities only during the Kumbh Mela. The fascination with the Kumbh spreads beyond India, attracting attendance by celebrities such as actor Richard Gere, movie director David Lynch and Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama in the past. In 2017, UNESCO placed the Kumbh Mela on its listing of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

How is it being organised?
Organising the mammoth event gives authorities a bigger challenge every time. In contrast, about 1.8 million pilgrims attended the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia last year. Authorities have set up 150,000 tents to accommodate pilgrims, expected to number around three times the population of Russia.

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They also target the provision of 450,000 new electricity connections, with more than half already allotted. About 5,000 workers are involved in the effort. The Kumbh is expected to require nearly 300 million rupees ($3.5 million) worth of power supplies, or more than the monthly average consumption of 100,000 urban apartments in the region.

A devotee prays at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela, or the Pitcher Festival. Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
A devotee prays at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela, or the Pitcher Festival. Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Additional toilets and better sanitation are among the additional infrastructure. Drones and surveillance cameras will boost safety for visitors. Stampedes have marred some past events.

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