"Maha Kumbh" is the world's largest religious congregation in Prayagraj on the banks of the Sangam. Sangam, or Triveni, is where River Ganga, River Yamuna, and River Saraswati meet. Maha Kumbh happens once every 12 years of the solar cycle. It is considered very auspicious to take a dip at the Sangam. Bathing in the Sangam during Maha Kumbh makes it all the more special. The 2025 Maha Kumbh is even more significant due to the rare alignment of the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn. According to the Pandits, this phenomenon happens every 144 years.
Kumbh means a pot. According to Sanatan dharma, once the Devtas and the Asuras churned the ocean on Lord Vishnu's suggestion for prosperity. Amrit kalash, or the pot containing the potion of immortality, emerged from the ocean among other things. There was a tussle between the Devtas and the Asuras for Amrit, due to which the Amrit spilt at four places: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik.
Today, on April 14, 2025, millions of devotees bathed in the Sangam at Prayagraj on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath wrote on the microblogging blogging website, X: "Today, on the first Amrit Snan festival, more than 3.50 crore revered saints/devotees earned the holy benefit of bathing in the uninterrupted-clean Triveni."
Makar Sankranti is a festival dedicated to the Surya, or the Sun. It is celebrated every year on January 14, except in a leap year when it is celebrated on January 15. It marks the transition of the sun from the zodiac of Sagittarius (dhanu) to Capricorn (makara). Since the Sun moves from south to north (uttar in Hindi), this festival is also called "Uttarayan.".
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