Even for the world’s most-populous nation, the scale of a Hindu religious festival being held in India’s northern city of Prayagraj since mid-January is staggering. Surpassing previous numbers, the ...

Pavitra Nandagiri is a Mahamandaleshwar—one of the highest-ranking monks of the Transgender Arena at the massive religious ...

Roaming through the Mahakumbh Mela, one can easily grasp the eternal message of Sanatana Dharma: our paths may be different, ...

Mahakumbh 2025: Naga Sadhus are considered the main attraction of the Mahakumbh Mela as they are rarely seen outside this grand event. They live in a mysterious world, making it difficult to spot them ...

However, this Maha Kumbh marked a shift in rigid social hierarchies. For the first time in recorded history, over 20% of newly initiated Naga sadhus came from Dalit and tribal communities. Of the ...

The Naga Sadhus are the highlight of the Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious gathering now underway in northern India. Worshipers jump over the barriers, running past police and ...

The Naga Sadhus are the highlight of the Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious gathering now underway in northern India. Worshipers jump over the barriers, running past police and ...

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Men with tonsured heads sit in rows for initiation into an order of naked Hindu ascetic holy men known as ...