The Maha Kumbh Mela has begun in Prayagraj after 144 years. The world’s largest cultural fest will go on until February 26. Here are some important dates to keep in mind

Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival begins in India on Monday, a Hindu sacred event that will be the world's largest gathering of humanity as it showcases religion, spirituality, tourism and crowd management.

As the 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela return to Prayagraj after 12 years, it is bringing together spirituality and economic prosperity on a monumental scale.

Held every 12 years, 2025's Maha Kumbh mela has seen the construction of 400km of temporary roads, a 10,000-acre pop-up tent city, 150,000 toilets, three hospitals and more.

The Maha Kumbh Mela, or the Great Pitcher Festival, will bring more than 400 million people to Prayagraj city in northern India over a period of six weeks starting Monday, making it the largest gathering of humanity in the world.

While the Kumbh Mela festival is ordinarly held every three years, rotating between several holy cities on the banks of these rivers, the Maha Kumbh Mela occurs only once every 12 years. Maha means “great”, and the event attracts the most devotees because it is considered the most auspicious and holy in the cycle.

The Maha Kumbh Mela, or the Great Pitcher Festival, will bring more than 400 million people to Prayagraj city in northern India over a period of six weeks starting Monday, making it the largest gathering of humanity in the world.

Preparations are underway to host millions of Hindu devotees and visitors in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Festival (Jan. 12)