The Largest Gathering visible from Space: Kumbh Mela

The Kumbh Mela is so massive that it can be seen from space. In 2019, ISRO released photos of the Kumbh Mela - which were spectacular. This is the largest gathering on Earth, and the Mela lasts for forty-five days. What is Kumbh Mela, and why do nearly 100 Million people visit this Mela every 12 years?

Kumbh Mela. Image Source: NDTV.com

From space, the Kumbh Mela looks spectacular. Millions of pilgrims and devotees,  dressed in a variety of colours, gather together and celebrate their faith. They bathe in the holy rivers - shahi snaan as they call it, pray with full devotion and meditate. The festival is a time for the Hindus to come together and celebrate their faith.

On Jan 2019, Kumbh Mela was captured from space by India's earth imaging satellite CartoSat-2. Around 2.25 crore devotees attended the "shahi snan" (grand bath) of Kumbh on the occasion of Makar Sankranti - which rose around to 15 Crore devotees by the end of the Mela. This makes the Kumbh Mela the 'largest gathering on Earth'.

Kumbh Mela in 2019. Image source: newsbharati.com

The satellite image shows the key areas of the Allahabad Fort, Triveni Sangam and the New Yamuna Bridge.

Over 100 million people attend the Kumbh every 12 years. There are four holy pilgrimage sites of Kumbh Mela - on four sacred rivers. These are - Haridwar on the Ganges River, Ujjain on the Shipra River, Nashik on the Godavari River, and Prayagraj on the convergence of three holy rivers - the Ganges, the Jamuna, and the Sarasvati.

The location of the Mela is determined by the astrological positions of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter. Astrology plays an important role in deciding the place, time and overall schedules; with the holiest time occurring at the exact moment when these astronomical positions align just right with the place and time.

The story behind this auspicious Mela is majestic in itself. The festival is said to have originated in the time of the Mahabharata when the gods and demons fought over a pot, called Kumbha of amrita - the nectar of immortality. The gods inevitably were victorious, but during the battle, the drops of the amrita fell on the Kumbh Mela’s four earthly sites. The rivers are believed to turn the water back into that primordial elixir of amrita. Pilgrims bathe in these rivers, attaining the essence of purity, washing their sins away, and potentially experiencing amrita -  immortality.

Predominantly, many holy men from different Hindu sects attend the mela. These popularly include Nagas, Kalpwasis and urdhawavahurs.

While the stories are many - some astrological, some mythical - the Kumbh Mela is undoubtedly a time for devotees to unite and forget their differences. "It's a time for peace, love, and understanding... The festival is a reminder that we are all human beings, and we are all connected," says the pilgrims visiting the place.

As mentioned earlier, this festival is primarily celebrated by Hindus. However, spirituality seldom seeks caste. People from all walks of life come together to celebrate their faith in these huge Mela - including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and people from other religions. Praying together, meditating together, and bathing together in the Ganges River.

Rich and poor, able and differently able, people with homes or homeless - everyone come and join this spiritual gathering. Everyone came to change themselves into better human beings, seeking peace and spirituality.

This is what makes Kumbh Mela special - the place where unity and devotion combine to form spirituality.