BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) celebrated a rare and auspicious Maha Shivratri on 26 February 2025, coinciding with the conclusion of the 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela—an alignment that occurs once every 144 years.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, one of Hinduism’s most sacred events and the world’s largest human gathering, drew over 400 million pilgrims to Prayagraj, India. Devotees bathed at the Triveni Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers converge, seeking spiritual purification.
Devotees, well-wishers, and local Hindu communities gathered at BAPS mandirs across the UK and Europe to celebrate Maha Shivaratri, honouring Shankar Bhagwan’s divine manifestation, celestial wedding, and Tandava dance.
The festival was marked by fasting, prayers, Rudrabhishek, mantra chanting, and an annakut offering, with devotional assemblies and spiritual discourses enriching the celebrations. A special highlight was the sacred water from the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, brought for the occasion and received as a blessing by devotees.
Vijay Ranganathan, a software engineer from Luton, shared, “I couldn’t attend the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, but my family and I feel blessed to receive this holy water. It’s reassuring to have mandirs where our Sanatan Hindu traditions remain alive.”
BAPS played an active role in the Maha Kumbh Mela, hosting and feeding thousands of pilgrims while organising Vedic yagnas and spiritual discourses. A video showcasing these efforts inspired attendees.
Volunteer Anjali Patel added, “This Maha Shivratri felt especially meaningful as it aligned with the rare conclusion of the Maha Kumbh Mela. Seeing devotees and the local community unite in devotion was truly heartwarming.”
