A video showing an elderly man offering prayers has gone viral on social media, where users have claimed that it shows a 154-year-old saint who resides in the Himalayas, who travelled to attend the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela.

The event is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology and centres on the belief in the purifying power of sacred rivers. Pilgrims bathe in these rivers, believing the ritual cleanses their sins and brings them closer to spiritual liberation.

A tragedy struck Maha Kumbh on the second ‘Amrit Snan’, where eight to 10 crore devotees are expected today. On the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, a stampede broke out in the wee hours of Wednesday, leading to fear of casualties.

"Two cylinders exploded in Sector 19 of the Maha Kumbh Mela, causing a massive fire in the camps. Fire fighters are trying to douse the blaze," Akhara Police Station in-charge Bhaskar Mishra was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Millions of Hindus are gathering in a northern Indian city for the Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious congregation.

The Maha Kumbh Mela has commenced in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on. The 45-day religious gathering is significant for Hindu pilgrims and devotees as the event marks the completion of 12 Kumbh Mela cycles,

The Hindu festival that turned deadly in northern India on Wednesday is a religious gathering with deep spiritual meaning for devotees who come by the millions to take a cleansing dip in waters they consider sacred.

Officials had been preparing for months for the world’s largest religious festival, with around 400 million Hindu pilgrims expected to take part