Kumbh Mela

India’s pilgrimage economy

About this time last year, preparations for the 2019 Kumbh Mela had entered their final phase. After all, it was a Kumbh in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), host to the largest human congregation on the planet. Despite the fact that the Kumbh is held every three years by rotation in four different cities — Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik, it is the Prayagraj edition that captures the imagination of a billion Indians and millions worldwide. Perhaps not mine — for sure, not in any spiritual or religious way. My allusions to the Kumbh have typically seen two Bollywood brothers getting separated at the Mela and reuniting at the climactic scene to bash up the baddie. My notions of the Kumbh not withstanding, the noise from the media following 2013’s Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj had been deafening.

For the spiritually inclined, Kumbh translates to “the nectar of immortality and nirvana.”

But the visually inclined, i.e. photographers from all over the globe, have swarmed to India over the last decade to find their own nectar — the illusive Naga sadhus, sacred baths, ceremonial sacrifices, and the masses of pilgrims — for assignments, news stories, and workshops. After all, Prayagraj’s Kumbh is the “Monaco Grand Prix,” “Le Mans,” and “Indy 500” of Hindu or any pilgrimage all rolled into one. And then some. The 55-day long Mela in 2019 saw over 200 million pilgrims with 30 million devotees gathered on the main bathing day alone. Sure, take a minute to absorb those numbers.