#kumbh-mela

#kumbh-mela

"The people in front of me were just stepping on women... Lots of very poor, very old, very fragile... they were like human debris on the floor."

The Kumbh Mela has been held every 12 years for centuries, but this year's was no ordinary pilgrimage. The state government, along with Hindu leaders, declared the 2025 Maha Kumbh to be a once-in-a-lifetime event, citing a rare celestial alignment that occurs once every 144 years.

After her bath, as they made their way through the crowds, Ms. Devi lost sight of her husband, Umesh Singh. Gone, with him, was her pouch.