Turns out, when 450 million people come together for the world’s largest religious gathering, even space can’t miss it. NASA astronaut Donald Pettit, at the age of 69 and currently on board the International Space Station (ISS) for Expedition 72, has shared jaw-dropping images of Prayagraj illuminated during the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela.
The two images Pettit posted on social media showcase the city shining like a galaxy of its own against the pitch-black night of Earth. The event, which takes place every 12 years, brings millions of pilgrims to the Ganges River for a sacred dip. “This is the largest human gathering in the world, and it just shines so bright,” Pettit wrote in his post. And honestly, he’s not exaggerating – the photos prove it.
Pettit, who also happens to be a chemical engineer (because being an astronaut isn’t impressive enough), explained that the images were captured from the ISS as it passed over Prayagraj at night. The breathtaking view shows the sheer magnitude of the gathering – an event so massive that it’s literally glowing from space.
Social media users were equally awestruck. “The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela at the Ganges River, captured by the ISS at night, shows the humongous size of this religious festival,” one user commented on X (formerly Twitter). Some even speculated about when exactly the pictures were taken, but most were simply busy marvelling at the celestial vibe of the event.
Maha Kumbh 2025 in numbers
Let’s put this into perspective: the Maha Kumbh Mela isn’t just big – it’s unimaginably big. With 450 million devotees expected to attend this year, it easily dwarfs other global gatherings. For comparison, the Rio Carnival sees about 7 million attendees, and Germany’s Oktoberfest tops out at 7.2 million.
At Prayagraj, preparations are as epic as the event itself. Over 10,000 sanitation workers, 1,800 Ganga Sevaduts (volunteers who help pilgrims), 43 hospitals, and 6,000 beds have been arranged to handle the crowd. There are even air ambulances on standby, because when you’re hosting an event of this size, everything needs to be on point.