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.