Maha Kumbh from space: NASA astronaut shares pictures of 'largest human gathering' from ISS

The Maha Kumbh Mela is going on in Prayagraj with all the pomp and glory one can expect from an event that happens once in 144 years!

Luminaries from around the world, which includes the likes of Lauren Powell, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, his girlfriend and Hollywood star Dakota Johnson, have all visited Prayagraj to witness this once-in-a-lifetime religious gathering.

But now it has been revealed that one does not need to visit Maha Kumbh to witness its grandeur—it can be witnessed from space as well.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit has managed to click images of Maha Kumbh from the International Space Station. He has shared the images on social media platform X with the caption, "2025 Maha Kumbh Mela Ganges River pilgrimage from the ISS at night. The largest human gathering in the world is well lit."

Check out the photos right here:

This is not the first time that Maha Kumbh has been photographed from space. Earlier, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had also shared before and after pictures of the infrastructure work that had been done for the festival.

ISRO's EOS-04 (RISAT-1A) satellite managed to capture these stunning images:

This year, an estimated 40 to 45 crore devotees are expected to visit Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh, which is taking place from January 13 to February 26.

The location of Kumbh Mela is based on the astrological alignment of planets. The position of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon is taken into consideration and the zodiac sign in which it lies is also checked. As Jupiter takes about 12 years to orbit around the Sun, the Kumbh Mela is celebrated four times over the course of 12 years.

The Kumbh Mela is celebrated in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj when Jupiter is placed in Taurus and the Sun, Moon is in Capricorn. Prayagraj is situated where the Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati meet.

With inputs from PTI