India starts a colossal Hindu festival hailed as the biggest religious gathering in the world

The Kumbh festival is a Hindu tradition involving ritual baths by sadhus and pilgrims at the confluence of three sacred rivers. Believed to date back to at least medieval times, the festival is rooted in Hindu mythology and the belief in attaining salvation from the cycles of life and death. Participants observe austerity, give alms, and bathe at sunrise every day, with some staying for the entire festival. The festival rotates among four pilgrimage sites every three years, with this year’s event in Prayagraj being the biggest and grandest of them all. The festival is a significant event in Hindu culture, attracting millions of visitors who seek spiritual connection and cleansing.

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