BBC journalist Amol Rajan will journey to India’s Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, for a one-hour BBC One and iPlayer documentary special, Amol Rajan Goes to the Ganges (working title). The film explores the festival and Rajan’s personal connection to his Hindu roots following his father’s death.
Here’s the Lowdown: The Maha Kumbh Mela festival takes place every 12 years, but this year’s event is even more significant due to a rare planetary alignment that last occurred 144 years ago. Up to 500 million pilgrims – more than the combined populations of the US and UK – gather at the confluence of three sacred rivers in Northern India to cleanse themselves and seek salvation.
What This Means Now: The documentary will air on BBC One and iPlayer, though no specific airdate has been announced. It offers a look at a massive, rarely-seen event, and also into Rajan’s personal life as he grapples with grief and explores his heritage. This year, the number of pilgrims is expected to hit 500 million.
The Bigger Picture: Beyond the personal narrative, the documentary shows the scale of the Kumbh Mela, including the logistics of creating a temporary “megacity” for hundreds of millions of people. It also shows the very real dangers, as a stampede during filming resulted in at least 30 deaths. The film will, it’s suggested, give some insight into the continuing appeal of spiritual practices in a world that is increasingly secular. Fremantle International is distributing the documentary globally under the title Kumbh Mela: Earth’s Biggest Festival.
