MUMBAI (RNS) — As COVID-19 infections rise, the local and national governments' decision to allow the Kumbh Mela is being scrutinized as a sign of the BJP-led government favoring Hindu beliefs over ...

Tens of thousands of people immersed themselves in freezing waters at the confluence of sacred rivers as the six-week Maha Kumbh Mela festival began in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

“Kumbh Mela is not only a religious pilgrimage, but also perhaps the largest mass gathering at one place,” said the federal government’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in late January, in an ...