Kumbh Mela: India races to prepare huge Prayagraj gathering

Indian authorities are racing against time to prepare for the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival hailed as the largest human gathering on Earth. An estimated 400 million pilgrims are expected to attend the 45-day event, whose scale is so immense that it can even be observed from space.

The event, held every 12 years, is set to begin on Monday. Over the next six weeks, devout believers will bathe at the Sangam, the confluence of India's holiest rivers, the Ganges and Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. The first major bathing day is on Tuesday, when Hindu holy men, known as Naga sadhus, with ash-smeared bodies and matted dreadlocks, will take a dip at dawn in the northern Indian city.

Hindus believe that bathing in the holy rivers washes away their sins, purifies their souls, and frees them from the cycle of birth and death, as the ultimate goal in Hinduism is salvation. Between five and eight million devotees are expected to bathe on Monday, with the number projected to surpass 20 million the following day. To accommodate the pilgrims and tourists, a huge tent city spanning 4,000 hectares has been erected along the riverbanks.

However, on Sunday, just hours before the event was due to begin, the sprawling grounds of Prayagraj still resembled a work in progress. Some camps set up by saints and other devotees lacked water, and the electricity supply was intermittent. Thousands of toilet cubicles remained unbuilt, and many that had been installed were unusable due to a lack of plumbing connections. Administrative officer Vivek Chaturvedi told the BBC that organizers were hampered by the late retreat of this year’s monsoon rains, which shortened the window for construction activity. But he insisted, “Preparations are largely complete, and all systems will be in place to welcome visitors.”

Mr. Chaturvedi said: “We have laid 650km of temporary roads, and erected tens of thousands of tents and toilets. More than 100,000 people, including more than 40,000 police and security personnel, are working day and night to ensure the event is a success.” The festival, which ends on February 26, has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Its origins stem from a myth about a battle between gods and demons for a pot (Kumbh) of nectar that emerged from the churning of the ocean.

As the two sides fought over the elixir that promised immortality, drops of it spilled and fell on four cities - Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. Since the battle lasted for 12 celestial years - each celestial year being equivalent to 12 Earth years - the Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years in the four cities. A half Kumbh Mela is organized between the two festivals. The gathering is held in all four cities, but the biggest, with previous attendance records being broken, is always in Prayagraj.

Hindu seer Mahant Ravindra Puri said this year's festival is "extra special" and called it a "Maha Kumbh Mela." He told the BBC: "This is because the current alignment of the planets and stars is exactly the same as it was at the moment when the nectar was spilled." He said: "This perfection occurs only after 12 Kumbh Melas or 144 years." A major draw for festival participants is the presence of the naked Naga sadhus, and watching them plunge into the icy water is a spectacle. But for devout believers, it has special significance – they believe the water is imbued with the purity of the holy men's thoughts and actions.

Over the weekend, crowds of holy men arrived at the gathering site in large processions. One group, with ash-smeared bodies, some naked, others wearing only loincloths or marigold garlands around their necks, marched carrying tridents, swords, and small double-headed drums. Another group had their leader ride on a chariot, and, escorted by bands, dancers, horses, and camels, they proceeded in a grand procession to their camps. The bathing dates and auspicious times are determined by astrologers based on the alignment of specific planets and constellations.

There are six particularly auspicious bathing days this time: January 13: Paush Purnima; January 14: Makar Sankranti; January 29: Mauni Amavasya; February 3: Basant Panchami; February 12: Magh Purnima; and February 26: Maha Shivaratri. Three of these - January 14, 29 and February 3 - are designated as Shahi Snan (or Royal Bath) days when the Naga sadhus will bathe. The largest gathering is expected on January 29 when an estimated 50 to 60 million devotees are expected to take a dip.

Away from the riverbanks, the city of Prayagraj has also been spruced up for the occasion. Officials say around 200 roads have been widened and the facades of buildings leading to the Sangam have been repainted, with walls adorned with colorful paintings and murals depicting Hindu mythological stories. Tens of thousands of pilgrims, including many from foreign countries, have already arrived in the city. Sebastian Diago, who came as part of a group of 90 people from Argentina, said he was there to "experience devotion firsthand." He said: "I felt the call of the Ganges, so I came. I will bathe in the river because I feel the need to connect with it."

The Indian government says they are spending 70 billion rupees ($812m; £665m) to organize the festival. Local media reports say the state government is set to earn 250 billion rupees ($2.9bn; £2.3bn) in revenue. Saints and leaders at the large camps say they understand the complexities of organizing such a massive festival, but some pilgrims have complained about the lack of facilities. A 60-year-old monk in saffron robes, Baba Amarnathji, showed the BBC a small tent he had erected using cloth and plastic sheeting draped over three bamboo poles. He said that previously he was able to sleep for free in government-built tents, but this time there was no such provision. "The police are trying to remove me from here. But where can I go? Everyone says this festival is for ascetics like me, but I see all the arrangements are for tourists."