Particle.news

Amol Rajan Confronts Grief at Maha Kumbh Mela in New BBC Series

The documentary follows Rajan’s journey at the rare 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela after his father’s death.

Overview

  • After his father died of pneumonia in January 2022, Rajan admitted he’d been ashamed to avoid processing his grief for three years.
  • He accepted an offer to front a film about the Kumbh Mela and traveled to India with a BBC team including director Brigid McFall.
  • The 2025 gathering was a Maha Kumbh Mela, a once-in-144-years celestial alignment believed to confer spiritual liberation.
  • During the pilgrimage, Rajan was just yards from a crush that killed at least 30 people.
  • Amol Rajan Goes to the Ganges premieres June 25 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.