The Kumbh Mela – World’s biggest religious festival

The Kumbh Mela is the world’s biggest religious gathering that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, more than 60 million people attended the Kumbh Mela in Prayag, Allahabad, breaking the record of the world’s biggest gathering. The mass of people was photographed from space by the Indian satellite IRS-ID. The satellite imagery of January 15 gave a clear glimpse of the mela site. A striking aspect was that the camera could capture all the 300 blocks/sectors/camps, where milling crowds of pilgrims were present.