Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela is a mass Hindu Piligrimage of faith in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river.

Traditionally, four fairs are widely recognized as the Kumbh Melas: Haridwara Kumbh Mela, Allahabad Kumbha Mela,Nasik Trimbakeshwara Simhastha,Ukjjain Simhastha , although priests at other places have also claimed their local fairs to be Kumbh Melas.

These four fairs are held periodically at one of the following places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayaga), Nasik District) and Ujjain. The main festival site is located on the banks of a river: the Ganges (Ganga) at Haridwar; the confluence Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the invisible Sarasvati at Allahabad; the Godavari  at Nashik; and the Shipra at Ujjain. Bathing in these rivers is thought to cleanse a person of all sins.

Darshan, or respectful visual exchange, is an important part of the Kumbh Mela. People make the pilgrimage to the Kumbh Mela specifically to see and experience both the religious and secular aspects of the event. Two major groups that participate in the Kumbh  Mela include the Sadhus (Hindu holy men) and pilgrims. 

Through their continual yogic practices the Sadhus articulate the transitory aspect of life. Sadhus travel to the Kumbh Mela to make themselves available to much of the Hindu public. This allows members of the Hindu public to interact with the Sadhus and to take "darshan." They are able to "seek instruction or advice in their spiritual lives.