Mention honorable dans la catégorie « Documentaire »

The Maha Kumbh Mela is the world largest religious festival that was held in Prayagraj, India between mid-January and the end of February 2025. This Hindu pilgrimage gathering is connected to astrology and, more precisely 2025 marked a full orbital revolution of Jupiter around the Sun. The 2025 edition was unique since the constellation alignment seen was witnessed once in 144 years. More than 600 million people had taken a dip at the Sangam, the confluence of three rivers: the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mystical Saraswati. It is a very sacred place and it is believed that taking a dip in it particularly on the special bathing dates washes away people's sins and provides them “moksha” or salvation. This event has been very difficult to shoot. While the first “Snan”, or Royal Bath on the 14th of January was affected by an extensive morning fog, the second but most important Snan on the 29th saw a huge crowd and a mesmerizing affluence of around 40 million that made it very difficult to focus on what to shoot, and where to stand. Nonetheless, I focused my attention on the pilgrims who give life and embody the gathering, trying to capture their practices, their emotions, their tenacity, and their connection to the Sacred.