Some 150,000 toilets have been built, 68,000 LED lighting poles have been erected, and community kitchens can feed up to 50,000 people at the same time.
Alongside religious preparations, Prayagraj has undergone a major infrastructure overhaul, and huge posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dot the city.
Both are from the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with politics and religion deeply intertwined.
Nectar of Immortality
The Kumbh Mela is an ancient celebration, with its origins rooted in Hindu mythology.
Hindus believe that taking a dip in Sangam, the confluence of the rivers, will cleanse them of their sins and help them attain “moksha”, setting them free from the cycle of birth and death.
According to legends, deities and demons fought over a pitcher — or “kumbh” — containing the nectar of immortality.
During the battle, four drops fell to Earth.
One drop landed in Prayagraj.
The others fell at Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain — the three other cities where the rotating Kumbh Mela is held on other years.
But the one in Prayagraj — held every 12 years — is the largest.
Organising authorities are calling it the great, or “Maha” Kumbh Mela.
