Prayagraj, UP: The Maha Kumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, begins on January 13 and will continue for six weeks, drawing more than 400 million people to Prayagraj, northern India. This massive gathering will be the largest of its kind globally, surpassing any other event in terms of sheer human numbers. What Is the Kumbh Mela? Held every three years in four cities along India’s sacred rivers, the Kumbh Mela is one of the most significant religious events for Hindus. The festival that occurs once every 12 years, known as the Maha Kumbh, is considered even more auspicious due to its timing, drawing the largest crowds. Devotees believe that bathing in the holy rivers during the Kumbh Mela...

The end of 2024 marks a historic milestone in global politics—a quarter of a century of leadership under Vladimir Putin, a figure who has indelibly shaped history. From his early days as a KGB agent to becoming one of the most dominant forces in modern history, Putin's rise defied the odds, cementing his place as a defining figure on the global stage. Vladimir Putin became the Acting President of Russia on December 31, 1999, following the resignation of Boris Yeltsin, the then-President of Russia. Yeltsin, after eight years in office, passed on the presidency to Putin, who was serving as the Prime Minister at the time. This marked the culmination of Putin’s rapid rise in Russian...