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KHUMB MELA
Every 12 years, millions of Indians flock to Allahabad, India, for the largest religious event on the planet: the Kumbh Mela. This sacred city, where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers converge, together with the mythical Sarasvati river, receives 120 million peregrines from all over India and beyond, to bathe in the precise spot, the Triveni Sangam, where the three rivers meet. This is far more than a religious event, this a celebration of India, and also of humanity as a whole, in its incredible variety. Again, in 2019, this is the largest ever congregation of people in human history. Such a massive event cannot be captured in a few photos of sadhus bathing in the river or the myriad pujas happening all over the place. So much energy and activity defy our comprehension. I have tried to focus on some details to illustrate the spiritual and yet festive ambience of the Kumbh, in its profound humanity as well as its sometimes-great irony. There is nothing like it anywhere else on the planet, an experience of a lifetime worth enjoying, and the best place on earth to capture the richness of the human experience.