Through the Lens: India’s Kumbh Mela pilgrimage and more
A selection of striking photos from across Asia
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Devotees gather at a riverbank to bathe during the Maha Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage held every 12 years in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad. It is even more special this time because of a rare alignment of celestial bodies that occurs only once every 144 years. The 45-day pilgrimage from Jan. 13 to Feb. 26 is expected to draw about 450 million people, including 1.5 million people from abroad, according to Indian officials. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Devotees gather at a riverbank to bathe during the Maha Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage held every 12 years in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad. It is even more special this time because of a rare alignment of celestial bodies that occurs only once every 144 years. The 45-day pilgrimage from Jan. 13 to Feb. 26 is expected to draw about 450 million people, including 1.5 million people from abroad, according to Indian officials. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A woman drinks water from the river. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A woman drinks water from the river. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A sadhu blesses a devotee on Feb. 2. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A sadhu blesses a devotee on Feb. 2. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Sadhus, or Hindu holy men, bathe during the Maha Kumbh Mela on Feb. 3. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Sadhus, or Hindu holy men, bathe during the Maha Kumbh Mela on Feb. 3. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prays as he bathes in Prayagraj, India, on Feb. 5. (Photo by India's Press Information Bureau/Reuters)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prays as he bathes in Prayagraj, India, on Feb. 5. (Photo by India's Press Information Bureau/Reuters)
More than 150,000 public toilets were set up on Feb 2 for the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
More than 150,000 public toilets were set up on Feb 2 for the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
More than 175,000 tents were erected to accommodate pilgrims. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
More than 175,000 tents were erected to accommodate pilgrims. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Men cook free meals at a kitchen on Feb. 3. Supported by the Adani Group, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or Iskcon, handed out around 100,000 free vegetarian meals a day to devotees. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Men cook free meals at a kitchen on Feb. 3. Supported by the Adani Group, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or Iskcon, handed out around 100,000 free vegetarian meals a day to devotees. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Devotees are served free meals at an Iskcon temple on Feb. 3. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Devotees are served free meals at an Iskcon temple on Feb. 3. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Sadhus, Hindu holy men, smear themselves with ash and arrive to bathe at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers with the mythical, invisible, Saraswati River on Feb. 3. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Getty Images).
Sadhus, Hindu holy men, smear themselves with ash and arrive to bathe at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers with the mythical, invisible, Saraswati River on Feb. 3. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Getty Images).
A mounted police officer manages the crowd on Feb. 3. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A mounted police officer manages the crowd on Feb. 3. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A sadhu sits on the hood of a car on Feb. 3. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A sadhu sits on the hood of a car on Feb. 3. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A sadhu’s face is smeared with ash. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
A sadhu’s face is smeared with ash. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Participants gather in front of a screen during the Digital Almaty 2025 forum, in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Jan. 31. (Photo by Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters)
Participants gather in front of a screen during the Digital Almaty 2025 forum, in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Jan. 31. (Photo by Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters)
A truck is hauled out of a sinkhole on Jan. 30 in Yashio, Saitama prefecture. The hole appeared the previous day, possibly due to a damaged sewer pipe. Sulfuric acid from the sewage may have corroded the pipe. Because the hole appeared near a sewage plant, residents in the affected area were urged to minimize their water use. (Photo by Kyodo)
A truck is hauled out of a sinkhole on Jan. 30 in Yashio, Saitama prefecture. The hole appeared the previous day, possibly due to a damaged sewer pipe. Sulfuric acid from the sewage may have corroded the pipe. Because the hole appeared near a sewage plant, residents in the affected area were urged to minimize their water use. (Photo by Kyodo)
The Doctor Yellow train arrives at Nagoya Station for its final inspection run on Jan. 29. The train, owned by Central Japan Railway, made its debut in 2001. The train has checked tracks on the Tokaido Shinkansen line for defects for over two decades. After its retirement, the iconic train will be exhibited at a railway museum. (Photo by Kazumi Saito)
The Doctor Yellow train arrives at Nagoya Station for its final inspection run on Jan. 29. The train, owned by Central Japan Railway, made its debut in 2001. The train has checked tracks on the Tokaido Shinkansen line for defects for over two decades. After its retirement, the iconic train will be exhibited at a railway museum. (Photo by Kazumi Saito)
Muslims board an overcrowded train after attending Akheri Munajat, the final supplication, during first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema gathering in Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on Feb. 2. (Photo by Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Rueters)
Muslims board an overcrowded train after attending Akheri Munajat, the final supplication, during first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema gathering in Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on Feb. 2. (Photo by Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Rueters)
A participant competes in the Sapi Brujul race at Jrebeng Kidul arena on Feb. 2 in Probolinggo, Indonesia. The Sapi Brujul race is an annual bull racing event. Held in muddy rice fields stretching 100 meters, the race takes place after the harvest season, serving as both entertainment for the community and a thanksgiving ritual before the planting season begins. (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)
A participant competes in the Sapi Brujul race at Jrebeng Kidul arena on Feb. 2 in Probolinggo, Indonesia. The Sapi Brujul race is an annual bull racing event. Held in muddy rice fields stretching 100 meters, the race takes place after the harvest season, serving as both entertainment for the community and a thanksgiving ritual before the planting season begins. (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)
People carrying a statue of god jump over a bonfire in hopes of receiving blessings on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, on Feb. 4, in Jieyang, China. (Photo by Wang Zilian/Getty Images)
People carrying a statue of god jump over a bonfire in hopes of receiving blessings on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, on Feb. 4, in Jieyang, China. (Photo by Wang Zilian/Getty Images)
People visit the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, a national book fair in Dhaka, on Feb. 5. (Photo by Rehman Asad/Getty Images)
People visit the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, a national book fair in Dhaka, on Feb. 5. (Photo by Rehman Asad/Getty Images)
Hindu faithful pray next to Bagmati River during the 'Madhav Narayan' festival in Kathmandu on Jan. 29. The festival is a monthlong event devoted to religious fasting, holy bathing. (Narendra Shrestha/EPA/Jiji)
Hindu faithful pray next to Bagmati River during the 'Madhav Narayan' festival in Kathmandu on Jan. 29. The festival is a monthlong event devoted to religious fasting, holy bathing. (Narendra Shrestha/EPA/Jiji)
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