Sat Dec 21 13:18:45 UTC 2024: ## Millions Expected at 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj

**Prayagraj, India –** The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, is set to draw an estimated 400 to 450 million devotees to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, between January 13th and February 26th. The event, deeply rooted in Hindu mythology, will see pilgrims from across India and the globe converge at the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Sarasvati rivers, for a holy dip.

The Maha Kumbh Mela, which occurs every 12 years at one of four sacred sites in India (Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik, and Prayagraj), is a spectacle of faith. Millions of ascetics, saints, pilgrims, and others will participate in the month-long festival, which centers around the belief that the rivers were touched by nectar from the churning of the cosmic ocean.

Six key bathing days are scheduled: Paush Purnima (January 13th), Makar Sankranti (January 14th), Mauni Amavasya (January 29th), Basant Panchami (February 3rd), Maghi Purnima (February 12th), and Mahashivratri (February 26th). The event will also feature the impressive Peshwai processions, where monastic orders (Akharas) showcase their traditions, and Nagar Pravesh, the arrival of saints into the Kumbh city. Thirteen recognized Akharas, categorized as Shaiva (worshippers of Shiva), Vaishnav (devotees of Vishnu), and Udasin (followers of Guru Nanak), will participate. The event will also highlight the practices of Naga Sadhus, who renounce worldly possessions, and Kalpavas, a period of spiritual devotion for common pilgrims. Information on the hierarchy within the Akharas, including Acharya Mahamandaleshwar, Mahamandaleshwar, and Shrimahant, is also available. The practice of Hatha Yoga, demanding physical feats of devotion, will also be a feature.

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