NASA astronaut shares pic of Maha Kumbh from space: ‘Largest human gathering in the world is well lit’
A NASA astronaut captures the breathtaking sight of Maha Kumbh Mela from space, showcasing the world's largest human gathering illuminated against the night sky
NASA astronaut Donald Pettit has shared stunning photographs of Prayagraj lit up for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. Pettit, 69, is currently at the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 72 crew. On Sunday, he took to social media to share two photographs of a sprawling city glittering alone in a sea of black.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, as seen from space at night (X/@astro_Pettit)
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The American astronaut and chemical engineer explained that his picture shows the Maha Kumbh Mela as seen from the International Space Station at night.
“2025 Maha Kumbh Mela Ganges River pilgrimage from the ISS at night. The largest human gathering in the world is well lit,” Pettit wrote.
Take a look at his post below:
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The pictures drew admiration from his followers.
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The pictures drew admiration from his followers.
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“The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela at the Ganges River, seen from the International Space Station at night, showcases the immense scale of this religious pilgrimage. The gathering, known as the world's largest human assembly, appears strikingly illuminated from space,” wrote one X user.
“Super photo and capture of such a unique moment. What date/time was this captured?” another asked.
About the Maha Kumbh
The Maha Kumbh is the world’s largest religious gathering that is currently underway in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. According to the Ministry of Culture, over 45 crore devotees are expected to visit the Maha Kumbh Mela to take a dip in the holy Sangam. The scale of the event is expected to surpass some of the world’s biggest gatherings - for some context, only 70 lakh people attended the Rio Carnival, while the Oktoberfest in Germany was attended by 72 lakh people.
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With such a large gathering to host, elaborate arrangements have been made in Prayagraj. The city has witnessed the deployment of over 10,000 sanitation workers and 1,800 Ganga Sevadut. Health services feature 6,000 beds, 43 hospitals, and air ambulances.
Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.
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