Picture this: A sea of 50 million people, all accumulated in an area of 4,000 hectares for one purpose – to celebrate the holy Hindu gathering of Mahakumbh 2025. In its 45-day run, the once-in-144-years festival was visited by over 660 million devotees, well above projections for 400 million.
For 24-year-old Kaustubh Kambiri, the trip to Mahakumbh was an opportunity to visit the historic festival, as well as explore the diverse culture that finds its roots in the Indian hinterlands.
Kambiri went to Prayagraj for the festival and combined it with visits to Lucknow, Varanasi, and Ayodhya.
“I met people from all walks of life during the visit to Mahakumbh, and then at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple,…