The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Reflections of a Reluctant Indian American Pilgrim

On the evening of January 27, Maha Kumbh Mela, I met a few sadhus cooking on a makeshift wood stove on the banks of the Ganges. When I asked, they showed me the pot — some cauliflower, peas, and potatoes, their only meal of the day. Six hundred of these yogis have traveled from Nepal barefoot to spend the 45 days of Kumbh Mela, starting January 13 and ending February 26, at Prayag Raj. They make Kalpabas — an intense spiritual retreat by abstaining from wearing footwear, leaving only two pairs of clothes, eating one meal daily, and practicing spiritual discipline, austerity, and meditation. One of them said they carry all their belongings on their head to move from one place to another. On February 26, they will complete the kalpabas at the end of 45 days, cleanse their body with a ritual bath and offerings to the sacred Ganges, get rid of old clothes, and return to their worldly life. 

At the Maha Kumbh Mela, 2025, Prayag Raj, about 150,000 tents are provided for accommodation. Millions of people — Sadhus, CEOs, Bollywood celebrities, and commoners — do Kalpabas for a few days to 45 days. The rents of the tents range from a lakh ($1,025) per day to a few hundred rupees ($10)—the wealthy travel with their assistants to maintain their lifestyle, even on Kalpabas. Still, Maha Kumbh provides an alternative to the Samsar (this world), where the devotees aspire to reach Moksha (the invisible world beyond).

Maha (the grand) Kumbha Mela 2025 (culminating 144th-year celebration of 12 Kumbhs, and each one commences every 12 years) at Prayag Raj remains a significant attraction known as Triveni Sangam — the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, where the gods won over the demons to find Amrit (nectar) in the Samudra Manthan hence the commencement of Kumbh Mela to remind the Hindus of the power of the gods, the sacredness of the water and the power of Hindu mythology. This year, the river ghat is 12 km (7.5 mi), and the surrounding area has been divided into 25 sectors where different Akhadas (Hindu religious orders) are spread out. 

Following the lunar calendar, Kumbh Mela occurs in four pilgrimage centers: Prayag, Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain. According to legends, God Vishnu was carrying a Kumbh (pot) of Amrit (nectar) when a fight broke out, and four drops were spilled at the four centers of the Earth, hence the four centers. 

My Journey

On January 27, my hour-long flight from Delhi to Varanasi was packed, and about 25% of the passengers were foreigners. The flight tickets had gone sky-high due to Maha Kumbh. I could not afford an hour’s flight for $300-500 from Delhi to Prayag Raj and opted to take a 3-hour taxi, about 130 km from Varanasi to Prayag Raj. Next to me, the Amrit Bazar Patrika TV crew was traveling to report on the Mela. Many were doing a whole ritual, starting with the sacred city of Varanasi, Prayag Raj, and climaxing at the newly built Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJP government has spent millions building the Ram Temple after the Supreme Court verdict to demolish the Babri Masjid. It was a significant win for the majoritarian Hindu government to showcase the temple as Ram’s birthplace in the new pilgrimage orbit. 

In 2013, I was all set to go to Kumbh, but at the last minute, I developed cold feet with warnings, threats from family, and fear of falling sick. This January, I was in India, and by a twist of fate, I extended my return ticket home for about ten days and packed my bags to be in the thick of Maha Kumbh. I discovered that on January 29, Mauni Amavasya (silent New Moon) in Magh is one of the six special days during the Maha Kumbh when a dip in the Triveni ensures a place in heaven. I became a speck of dust – one of the 80 to 100 million pilgrims on the auspicious day.

The advertisement for Kumbh Mela from Varanasi to Prayag Raj felt like a social media extravaganza. The larger-than-life festival was advertised on giant billboards prominently featuring Prime Minister Modi and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditayanath right behind him. The miles of vibrant yellow mustard flowers, wheat, and sugarcane fields looked pale compared to the overpowering billboards.

The hour-long ride turned out to be five hours. The roads were busy; we had to cross three police barricades to reach Jhusi, a little neighborhood next to the Ganges in the city. I arrived at my local host’s home and had a divine home-cooked meal—roti, paneer, aloo matter, and cauliflower with a sumptuous fresh vegetable salad. 

Then, I took the backseat on a motorbike to the Mela. I could see two different streams of the pilgrimage. Expecting 80 to 100 million people, the local government had closed down bridges connecting the other side of the Ganga where all government guest houses, ITDC lodge, digital center, Akshayavat, and Bade Hanuman Temple were situated. On the city side, we had to cross an open backwater reserve stinking of sewage with the wastewater flow from the city. Millions of people walking through the makeshift bridge on the drain to enter the Mela were oblivious to the smell. I wondered about the poor fate of the sacred Ganges, where all the city’s wastewater flows in. 

The Significance of Akhadas

I went through the massive gates to enter the Kumbh Mela grounds, a city of its own. The Uttar Pradesh government has set up an expansive 40-kilometer city to accommodate the millions of pilgrims who attend the event.

The Sadhu Akhadas, 13 traditional sects, visibly distinguish one from the other in terms of the size of the makeshift Sadhu’s abode, the number of people hanging around, and the expensive cars lined up outside their gates. In his book Divine Kumbh: Echoes of Eternity: Ganga, Shipra, Godavari, and Sangam, journalist and author Deepak Kumar Sen describes each Akhada as a meticulously structured institution, organized into eight Davas (divisions) and 52 Marhis (centers), each overseen by a Mahant (head). 

Kumbh Mela is known for the akhadas. These Sadhus come from all corners of the country to give darshan to their disciples only once in 12 years, so they are treated as rare appearances. Various sects of Sadhus set up their camps, conducting fire rituals, sermons, and prayers and offering spiritual teachings and darshan to devotees.

Hundreds of Naga (Naked) Sadhus of Juno Akhada formed a whole neighborhood; each had a tent with their disciples. The place was smoky, a combination of firewood and ganja. They were smeared in ashes and entertained scores of devotees touching their feet. Some of the Naga Sadhus were modern, wearing Ray-ban sunglasses at 8 pm and smoking ganja with a cell phone.

I got my blessing from one Naga Sadhu and visited many of their camps. I was amazed to see a Naga Sadhu smeared in ashes and a sword through his genitalia. One devotee said these sadhus have mystical powers and can be invisible. They would do anything they wish. Mobs hovered around these Sadhus. I was told only during Kumbh do they come out of their abode and are seen in public.

There were women’s exclusive Akhadas, where numerous saffron-robed women Sadhus performed yajnas (sacred fire). Women guards were watching over their Akhada, and they asked me not to take any photos.

The Akhadas are age-old; many monks trace their establishment to Adi Shankaracharya, an 8th-century philosopher and Hindu monk, who is believed to have united ascetics into these organized groups. However, some scholars argue that the Akhadas developed organically over time as ascetic communities began to form their structures.

I could see that the rich and famous, including well-known sadhus, were treated differently. Even at the cost of the ordinary people, their cars and jeeps would be allowed, causing a near stampede.

The next day, I walked about 10 miles in the Mela with a local friend and encountered millions of people from the villages and cities who came by buses, trains, and rented vans. They had to walk 12-14 kilometers from the parking lot but were still determined to be at the Mela. Families with older parents, grandparents, and young children came to take a dip; many carried plastic bags, suitcases, and duffle bags, full of their belongings and were heading to the Ganges. 

I encountered several annachatra (free food service) from wealthy industrialists, corporate masters, and Akhadas. Some were restricted to Sadhus only. The Indian industrialist Adani had his food service. I asked how many people they feed every day. The manager said about 100,000 people.

I could see that the rich and famous, including well-known sadhus, were treated differently. Even at the cost of the ordinary people, their cars and jeeps would be allowed, causing a near stampede. In many instances, I saw the police closing the road for the VIPs, pushing the public out of the way. 

The highlight of my day was a visit to the Kinnar (transgender) Akhada in sector 16. It was very crowded; visitors stood in line to get the blessings of the Kinnar Sadhwins. At this place, the Kinnars were prioritized over the ordinary people, which was a pleasant experience.

Stampede on the Holiest Day

On January 29, a stampede at the festival grounds left officially 30 people dead and 60 others injured. When I visited the Mela in the afternoon, I witnessed several thousand piles of clothing, broken mirrors, loads and loads of shoes, and shattered dreams. 

Finally, on Mauni Amavasya, I sprinkled some sacred water on my head. I collected a bottle of holy muddy water with a few petals of flowers people left behind in the water. The procession of the Akhadas going for their spiritual dip felt like one soap opera competing to be better than the other. I gathered that the Kumbha Mela has become the most significant achievement of the BJP government. Yogi Adityanath said that Maha Kumbh would elevate India’s ancient cultural and religious traditions to global prominence.

For me, Maha Kumbha Mela was a lifetime experience. I had an epiphanic time with millions of pilgrims and collecting their stories. The rich and famous behave the same way wherever they go, so Kumbha Mela is no exception. Being with the people was a kalpabas, and I could identify with the yogis I met on the first night, who cooked their meal on the sacred sand and felt content.

What I Feel Blessed

I teach Magic, Science, and Religion courses at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). I have read about the pilgrimages of Indigenous people and those tied to mainstream religions. I have visited Bethlehem in Palestine, the famous Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, a holy city in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I was born in Puri Dham on the east and traveled to the other three tirths (pilgrimages) in India, e.g., Badrinath in the north, Rameswaram in the south, and Dwarika in the west, which every Hindu aspires to visit. The anonymity at the pilgrimage, the enormity of faith among the pilgrims, and the power play of religion in these places always intrigued me. 

The Maha Kumbh Mela experience will always stay with me because of the sheer faith, determination, and enthusiasm of many people vying for a dip in the sacred water.

---

Annapurna Devi Pandey teaches Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and was a postdoctoral fellow in social anthropology at Cambridge University, the U.K. Her current research interests include diaspora studies, South Asian religions, and immigrant women’s identity-making in the diaspora in California. In 2017-18 she received a Fulbright scholarship for fieldwork in India. Dr. Pandey is also an accomplished documentary filmmaker. Her 2018 award-winning documentary “Road to Zuni,” dealt with the importance of oral traditions among Native Americans.