400 Million Souls: A Journey Through The Maha Kumbh Festival.
Imagine, my friend, more than 400 million people from all over India gathered in one place...the city of Prayagraj...more than 400 million people, including women, men and children (most of them naked)
smeared with ashes, bathing in the waters of the confluence of three rivers...the Ganges, the Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati...and immersing themselves in its waters because, according to their belief, this purifies them from their past sins and frees them from the process of reincarnation...all this in the Maha Kumbh Mela or Hindu Pitcher Festival, which is held for 6 full weeks...The festival's roots go back to a Hindu tradition that says that their god Vishnu snatched a golden pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from the demons...and Hindus believe that a few drops of it fell in the cities of Prayagraj, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar, the four places where the Kumbh Festival has been held for centuries...