The Great Kumbh Mela has started in India - a grand religious festival that is held once every 144 years

Over the course of six weeks, it will be attended by about 450 million pilgrims. The festival is associated with an ancient Hindu legend about the search for the elixir of immortality.

"Maha Kumbh Mela" means "the festival of the big pitcher". Hindus believe that Vishnu once spilled drops of the elixir of immortality from his urn in four places on Earth. One of these places is the city of Prayagraj, where the sacred rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati merge. The main tradition of the festival is bathing in the rivers to cleanse oneself of sins. An equally important and spectacular part of the celebration is the procession of ancient monastic sects of warrior sadhus, who come from all over the country. In addition, a large-scale light show is expected with the participation of more than 2,000 drones, which will present stories from Hindu mythology in the sky.

This year’s festival is expected to set a record for attendance, with over 400 million people, including pilgrims and tourists, expected to attend. It could also be the most expensive in history. Local authorities have already spent over 70 billion rupees (over $800 million) on preparing for the festival and setting up infrastructure. About 4,000 hectares of land along the river banks have been converted into a tent city, with 150,000 tents and food stalls. Indian Railways has launched 98 additional trains. The organisers have also developed a special mobile app to help pilgrims and launched an AI-powered chatbot that works in 11 languages. Thousands of drones will be deployed to ensure safety on land and water.