Prayagraj, India - January 13, 2025 The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela, considered the largest human gathering on the planet, began in northern India on Monday with thousands of pilgrims flocking to the holy confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati rivers. The six-week event is expected to attract 450 million visitors seeking spiritual purification through ritual baths. Devotees from all over India and abroad arrive dressed in saffron, a symbol of the Hindu faith, and many sadhus (Hindu ascetics) lead the pilgrimage. The authorities have set up a temporary city at Prayagraj to accommodate the massive influx of visitors, which includes 160,000 shelters and 150,000 portable toilets. The peak bathing days are 14 and 29 January, and 3, 12 and 26 February, and millions of people are expected to participate in these sacred rituals that are believed to cleanse sins and bring spiritual liberation. Camera: HUGO BARCÍA. FOOTAGE OF HINDU WORSHIPPERS ATTENDING THE KUMBH MELA FESTIVAL IN PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA. [Restrictions: Spain, Latin America, or the U.S. Hispanic market]