NEW DELHI: IndiGo’s chief executive officer Pieter Elbers on Tuesday described his visit to the world’s largest religious gathering at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj as unparalleled, saying, “no word, sentence or picture can properly describe this place or the energy.”
The 2025 edition of Mahakumbh holds special significance, taking place under a unique celestial alignment that last occurred 144 years ago in 1881, making it a rare spiritual event for saints and pilgrims alike.
The CEO took to social media platform LinkedIn to express his visit.
“Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. Once in 144 years…the largest gathering of mankind on planet Earth !,” he wrote.
Elbers also highlighted the staggering number of visitors, noting that Mahakumbh 2025 saw 450 million attendees over 45 days corresponding to the entire population of Europe and exceeding that of the United States.
The 54-year-old Dutch airline executive had the opportunity to witness the Mahakumbh firsthand on 26 January. Sharing pictures from the event he said, “This weekend, on Republic Day I was at the Maha Kumbh Mela, celebrating the confluence of India’s culture, spirituality and heritage.”
Elbers also took a holy dip at the Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, early morning, surrounded by an ocean of fellow pilgrims.
“I took the holy early morning dip at 5am in the sacred confluence of rivers, the holy Sangam with about a million at the same time, surrounded by chants, prayers, devotion and the unity of humanity Found an inexplicable moment of peace in the chaos.”
Calling the experience profoundly humbling, Elbers said it was a privilege to witness an event of such spiritual magnitude. “Grateful to be a part of something so divine, once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will cherish forever.” he wrote.
He also extended his appreciation to IndiGo’s team at Prayagraj Airport for managing the massive influx of passengers during the Mela.
Elbers, who has been leading IndiGo since 2022, previously served as the President and CEO of KLM, the Netherlands’ national airline.
