Hindu pilgrims bathe in the sacred waters of Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers, during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on January 13, 2025, in a photo released by the Department of Information from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF THE INDIAN STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH / AFP Alone or with family, simple devotees or gurus, strangers or politicians, thousands of Indians have been flocking to Allahabad (renamed “Prayagraj”) since January 13 , at the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna to immerse oneself in the sacred waters, wash oneself from their sins, purify their soul and free themselves of the cycle of reincarnations, on the occasion of the Maha Kumbh Mela. This great pilgrimage, the most important in Hinduism, takes place every twelve years in this town in Uttar Pradesh located about a hundred kilometers from Benares. The last edition took place in 2013, a year before Narendra Modi came to power and welcomed 120 million people. The Hindu nationalist decided to make it a record-breaking event. The occasion is ripe for this because this year the pilgrimage benefits from a rare celestial alignment, which only occurs once every 144 years. The “sacred jug fair”, touted by the government as the “largest human event” in the world and the “greatest collective act of faith”, will last forty-five days and could, according to the organizers, see 400 parades. million people, an unverifiable figure, but India likes to defy numbers for better or for worse. You have 80.08% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
Author : News7
Publish date : 2025-01-16 15:24:47
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