Kumbh Mela 2019: Kinnar Akhara with transgender sadhus make debut

Millions of pilgrims began bathing on the first official day of India’s Kumbh Mela on Tuesday, the world’s largest religious festival. 

Millions of pilgrims began bathing on the first official day of India’s Kumbh Mela on Tuesday, the world’s largest religious festival. 

During the eight-week festival at Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, up to 150 million people, including a million foreign visitors, are expected to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and Saraswati.

Devout Hindus believe bathing in the waters of the Ganges absolves people of sins and at the time of the Kumbh Mela, or the “festival of the pot”, it brings salvation from the cycle of life and death.

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First time in the history of Kumbh Mela, the 'Kinnar Akhara' took the shahi snan. It was one of the major attraction today. People from all over the world locked for blessings to the tent of the Kinnar Akhara, a unique religious congregation of Indian transgenders.

The Kumbh Mela has been inscribed on the list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO in 2017. This reflects the significance of Kumbh worldwide. Kumbh at Prayagraj encapsulates the science of astronomy, astrology, spirituality, ritualistic traditions, social and cultural customs and practices making it extremely rich in knowledge.

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Kumbh also signifies the coming together of people from various cultures from all across the world and participating in the spectacle that is the largest peaceful congregation of humanity. Participating in the ritual of the holy bath at the Ghats is an honor and a privilege.