Every 12 years in the city of Prayagraj (previously known as Allahabad), in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, more than 100 million people gather on a strip of sand at the confluence of the rivers Gange, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. The Kumbh Mela – among the most important Hindu pilgrimages – is touted as the largest human gathering in the world, and the next one falls in January 2025.
Completing its 12-year cycle, the Kumbh will take place in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26, bringing millions of devotees and curious-minded travellers from across the world to witness the power of faith. Believer or not, there is no denying the palpable spiritual energy that pervades the Kumbh: offerings of flowers and incense sticks drift across the water; the days are filled with chants and drumming; and smoke from earthen lamps curls through the air. For pilgrims, the pinnacle of the festival is a dip in the sacred waters on auspicious days – an act believed to cleanse the faithful of their sins.
To accommodate this throng of humanity, a temporary city of impossible proportions springs up on the sandbanks, featuring tented accommodations, roadways, power supplies, and medical facilities. Holy men hand out blessings, gurus dispense sermons to their disciples, and pilgrims have the chance to be in the presence of normally reclusive ascetics.
Alongside old hands such as The Ultimate Travelling Camp Sangam Nivas, a luxury tented campsite called Shivir will debut at the Kumbh in 2025. Guests can check in to chic tented suites with attached bathrooms and heating. On site, there will be multiple restaurants and meals catering to various dietary requirements (Sattvic, Jain, vegetarian), as well as activities such as guided yoga and meditation, boat cruises along the sacred rivers, walking tours of the akharas, and audiences with seers and ash-smeared holy men.
How to plan it: Fly into Prayagraj Airport and drive to Triveni Sangam, the site of the Kumbh Mela. A number of luxury tented campsites operate at the Kumbh, including TUTC Sangam Nivas and the new Shivir, a more elevated experience with tented suites, private bathrooms and heating. Malavika Bhattacharya
Queensland’s Tropical Coast
Go for: new glitzy resorts, better air access, and even more to do on land
