Astronaut shares breathtaking Mahakumbh images taken from International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) has captured breathtaking images of the Mahakumbh 2025, offering a unique view of the world’s largest religious gathering from space.

Sharing the images on the social media platform X, American astronaut Don Pettit wrote, “2025 Maha Kumbh Mela Ganges River pilgrimage from the ISS at night. The largest human gathering in the world is well lit.”

The Mahakumbh, which draws millions of devotees seeking spiritual solace, appeared as a glowing spectacle from space. The pictures highlight the scale and grandeur of the event, with lights and human activity transforming the landscape around the river into a mesmerising scene.

The images, shared late Sunday night, have since garnered over 7 lakh views and continue to captivate audiences worldwide.

So far, over 13 crore devotees have visited the Mahakumbh to take a ritual dip in the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, according to Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

Pettit, NASA's oldest active astronaut, is known for his work in astrophotography and innovation in space. He is also the inventor of the first patented object made in space, the ‘Zero-G Cup’.