NASA astronaut Donald Pettit, currently on board the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Expedition 72 crew, has posted some spectacular pictures of Prayagraj all aglow for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. Aged 69, Pettit posted two incredible photos on social media Sunday where he flashed pictures of the city shining bright amidst a blanket of darkness.
The images explain how beautiful the scene is, how beautiful the Maha Kumbh Mela has looked from space,” said Pettit, who is an astronaut and a chemical engineer. He captioned his post: “2025 Maha Kumbh Mela Ganges River pilgrimage from the ISS at night. The biggest human gathering on Earth is all lit up.”
Awe-Inspiring Images
The pictures received much accolade from followers. One on X commented : “The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela at the Ganges River from the International Space Station at night. It makes this religious show a behemoth. The greatest human congregation as termed, the people gathering seems glaringly bright for space.”
One follower wrote, “Wow, what a super photo and capture of such a unique moment. What date/time was this captured?”
What is the Maha Kumbh Mela?
Maha Kumbh Mela happens to be the biggest religious conclave in the world, wherein thousands of saints are participating for their rituals at this Sangam as well as nearly 45 crores of other devotees taking holy dips over there. This unbelievable crowd is enough to surpass another grand gathering seen elsewhere in this world, in terms of magnitude – Rio Carnival attracting 70 lakh people attending, and one seen in Oktoberfest, in Germany with about 72 lakh on a single gathering day.
Mass Event Arrangements
Prayagraj has made all the necessary arrangements for this huge crowd of devotees. The city has recruited more than 10,000 sanitation workers and 1,800 Ganga Sevaduts to keep the place clean. The healthcare services have also been enhanced with 43 hospitals, 6,000 beds, and air ambulance facilities in case of an emergency.