Prayagraj, India, Jan 13 (EFE).- The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela, the largest human gathering on the planet, began on Monday in northern India with a saffron tide of pilgrims flocking to the confluence of the sacred Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati rivers to bathe in the waters.
The pilgrimage of tens of thousands of Hindus began under a thick layer of fog that almost blocked out the sun Monday morning in the Uttar Pradesh city of Prayagraj, home of the Kumbh Mela, and which expects the arrival of 450 million visitors over the next six weeks.
The aim of the long caravans of devotees, coming from all corners of India as well as abroad, is to bathe in the sacred waters of these rivers, since according to mythology, this act purifies their sins, frees them from the cycle of reincarnations (samsara) and brings them closer to spiritual liberation (moksha).
“It’s my first time at the Kumbh Mela, it’s been incredible. I didn’t think there would be so many people,” said Prabhakar, a young man from New Delhi who was waiting his turn to bathe.
To accommodate all the faithful such as Prabhakar, the authorities have built a temporary city near Prayagraj, with some 160,000 shelters and some 150,000 portable toilets.
During the mass walk to the rivers, saffron, associated with Hinduism, is the predominant color, especially in the robes of the sadhus (Hindu ascetics covered in ash and with long hair), who flock to each edition of the Kumbh Mela.
Another first-time devotee was Amit Prajapati, who told EFE that after bathing in the “cold” waters, he would visit the akharas (facilities that function as monasteries for ascetics and saints).
Monday is considered one of the six most auspicious days to immerse oneself in the sacred waters, which usually attracts a greater number of faithful compared to the other days.
The crowding on the riverbanks was such that, through megaphones, the names of people who had got lost in the crowd and the sound of whistles rang out constantly.
The most auspicious days for bathing are Jan.14 and 29, and Feb. 3, 12 and 26, the final day of the festival.
Once the dip in the waters is done, the faithful can relax on the shore, but it is common for them to return to their shelters, divided into camps, where they carry out prayer activities and attend sermons by the sadhus.
In addition to Prayagraj, which hosts the Kumbh Mela every 12 years, the pilgrimage rotates between three other sacred riverside sites: Haridwar in northern Uttarakhand state, Ujjain in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, and Nashik in western Maharashtra, although in these cases the events are usually smaller. EFE
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