Millions of Hindu pilgrims gathered in Prayagraj, India on Monday, Feb. 4 to take a dip in the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers on the most auspicious bathing day of the Kumbh Mela. The ash-smeared Sadhus and Sadvis took the first dip into the river, followed by other monastic orders. The Kumbh festival is one of the biggest spiritual events in the Hindu religious calendar and Hindu pilgrims bathe in the river in the belief that it cleanses them of their sins. (AP) | Voice of America

As Guy Hayward nears the end of his extraordinary journey at the largest pilgrimage gathering on earth, he prepares to take part in the Shahi Snan (Royal Bathing)—the most sacred moment of the Maha Kumbh Mela—tomorrow, February 3rd. Standing among millions bathing in the Ganges, he asks: How can we bring this spirit of pilgrimage to Britain? Can our incredible music festivals, ancient routes, and sacred places become spaces of pilgrimage, where we come together with purpose, intention, and conne