The pop-up megacity: how the Kumbh Mela prepared for 660m Hindu devotees

For 45 days the floodplains of Prayagraj, a city in Uttar Pradesh known as Allahabad until 2018, were a churning sea of humanity. Millions waded into the freezing waters of thesangam– the sacred confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, plus a mythical one, the Saraswati – believing that a single dip could wash away a lifetime of sin.From dawn until well past midnight, the riverbanks teemed with saffron-clad sadhus, bare-chested pilgrims and families clutching brass urns, garlands and clay lamps, an unceasing tide of pilgrims.View image in fullscreenPilgrims performing one of the rituals associated with the ‘holy water’ of the rivers at this year’sKumbh Mela. Photograph: David LeveneThe Maha Kumbh Mela, which is likely to have been the world’s largest religious gathering, concluded on 26 February, with the Uttar Pradesh government claiming that a staggering660 million peoplehad visited over its duration.It was also the scene of a tragedy this year whenat least 30 devotees died in a crush, and another 60 were injured, on one of the busiest days.It is easy to see the risk of such crushes when, on the days seen as most auspicious for bathing, when the crowds swelled to tens of millions, the riverbanks seemed to disappear under the weight of pilgrims pressing forward, their chants and the sound of conch shells blown in rituals echoing through the air.The Kumbh Mela has been held every 12 years for centuries, but this year’s was no ordinary pilgrimage. The state government, along with Hindu leaders,declared the 2025 Maha Kumbhto be a once-in-a-lifetime event, citing a rare celestial alignment that occurs once every 144 years.With an eye on spectacle and scale, the government allocated about £720m to build a sprawling temporary metropolisspread across 4,000 hectares(15 sq miles). Constructed in a matter of weeks, this tent city accommodated a fluctuating population – ranging from 3-4 million to80 millionon the festival’s busiest days.View image in fullscreenThe temporary city had 200,000 tents, 250 miles of temporary roads and 30 pontoon bridges. Photograph: David LeveneAccording to Rahul Mehrotra, chair of urban planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the temporary settlement had all the characteristics of a megacity. “Built on a grid, the festival grounds replicate various social and physical infrastructures, including piped water, electricity, sanitation and road networks, transforming the barren floodplain into a fully functioning city,” he says.With 200,000 tents to rent, 500,000 parking slots and 25,000 free tents, the site is a massive logistical feat. It is illuminated by 67,000 streetlights, with 250 miles (400km) of temporary roads, nine permanentghats[steps to the river], and 30 pontoon bridges.A 775-mile network of water pipes was laid to support the massive influx of pilgrims, and 150,000 toilets were installed, cleaned and maintained by 15,000 sanitation workers. Every day,400 tonnes of rubbishwere collected.View image in fullscreenA temporary ashram – a monastery-like retreat – with lifesize cutouts of Hindu sages on the upper floors. Photograph: David LeveneAfter nearly two and a half years in the planning, the temporary festival city is now being dismantled, with more than10,000 labourersworking day and night to remove tents and dismantle infrastructure.Dismantling it will take nearly two months. It’s also a race against time as it must be done before the monsoonVijay Kumar AnandVijay Kumar Anand, a district magistrate, says: “It took months to build this city; and dismantling will take nearly two months. It’s a race against time as it must be done before the monsoon arrives, as the river will reclaim what was always hers.”Suppliers span India, with vendors transporting materials from other states. Some, such as Lalloo Ji & Sons, a local event-management company, have been providing materials for the religious festivals for nearly a century and were also commissioned to erect35,000 tents this year.Streetlights, tents and pontoons will be dismantled and stored in warehouses to be repurposed for future events, including the next Maha Kumbh in 12 years and the Magh Mela, a smaller gathering that takes place in Prayagraj every year.View image in fullscreenCleaners, most of whom are from the Dalit community, expect to be working here for another month. Photograph: Anuj BehalView image in fullscreenThough efforts were made to avoid single-use disposable materials, 400 tonnes of waste a day were collected. Photograph: Anuj BehalA portion of the inventory – such as pontoons, generators and streetlights – will be redistributed across Uttar Pradesh. “Wherever there is demand, these resources will be deployed,” says Anand. “Pontoons are often sent to flood-affected villages, while streetlights find their way to rural areas in need of better infrastructure.”Of the streetlights, poles, transformers, LED lights and solar hybrids, 25% will be reserved for the annual Magh Mela festival.Items with limited value gradually trickle into local markets. “Over time, they make their way into informal settlements, where the poorest communities repurpose them – bamboo, tarpaulin and metal sheets, for instance, are often used to construct homes in urbanbastis[shanties],” says Mehrotra.View image in fullscreenAbout a quarter of the lighting and power infrastructure from the vast site will be kept for use at future festivals in Uttar Pradesh. Photograph: Anuj BehalView image in fullscreenView image in fullscreenView image in fullscreenView image in fullscreenOver time, much of the material used at the festival, such as bamboo, tarpaulins and sheets of metal, will make its way to the slums, where it will be used to build homes. Photographs: Anuj BehalAs the Kumbh festival comes to an end, people continue to take a dip, especially those who could not attend the main event. But the holy river itself is in a dire state, with mounds of rubbish strewn along the riverbanks and in the water.I must be filling 100 to 150 garbage bags a shift … we’ll be cleaning for another monthRaju BalmikiFaecal bacteria in the water were about500 times the level considered to be high riskfor drinking. According to India’sCentral Pollution Control Board, the level of faecal coliform in the Ganges at thesangamwas 49,000 MPN (most probable number) per 100ml on 20 January, while the Yamuna recorded 33,000 MPN before merging at thesangamthe same day. This vastly exceeds themaximum permissible limit for bathing waterof 2,500 MPN per 100ml and the desirable level of 500 MPN per 100ml.Thousands of workers continue to clean the riverbanks, removing the waste left behind by pilgrims – both as religious offerings and indiscriminate dumping. The vast majority of these workers belong to lower-caste communities, especially Dalits, who are historically forced to undertake sanitation work.View image in fullscreenPilgrims left behind a combination of rubbish and religious offerings, such as flowers and garlands. Photograph: Anuj BehalRaju Balmiki, a sanitation worker, has been clearing waste from the ghats, working daily from 6am to 3pm since the festival began. “I must be filling at least 100 to 150 garbage bags a shift,” he says. “There’s all sorts of trash – flowers, coconuts, clothes, even shoes. We’ll be cleaning for another month, but people won’t let the river breathe.”As Kumbh disappears, its tents and makeshift streets dismantled, those who came not as pilgrims but as labourers begin boarding crowded trains and trucks. They return to their home towns, not with divine blessings, but with good fortune earned from a city that existed only briefly.View image in fullscreenThe sun sets over the scene of the largest ever gathering of humanity. The record number of devotees is likely to be broken at the next Maha Kumbh Mela. Photograph: David Levene