Mahakumbh: tracing the transformation of the elixir of immortality to tainted water

The Mahakumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj, which hosts nearly 450 million pilgrims, highlights the tension between a profound spiritual tradition and mounting environmental stress. This review evaluates the ecological impacts of mass bathing, sewage overload, ritual plastic waste, microplastic deposition and industrial effluents, which have collectively degraded water quality and faecal coliform levels far exceeding permissible limits. Despite expanded sewage treatment and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled crowd management, health risks and infrastructural failures persisted. Comparative assessment of Central Pollution Control Board data reveals systemic sustainability gaps. The review advocates long-term ecological resilience, decentralized infrastructure and community-led stewardship to harmonize tradition with environmental well-being.