Kumbh Mela 2013 (India)

kumbh mela 2013 (india), bathing pilgrims, crowd, fence, ganga, ganges river, hindu pilgrimage, hinduism, holy bath, holy dip, kumbh maha snan, kumbh mela, mauni amavasya, nadi bath, night, river bank, river bathing, river boats, triveni sangam
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Kumbh Mela 2013 (India)

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Hindu pilgrims taking the Holy bath before dawn on the bank of the Ganges river, near the Sangam, during the Kumbh Mela 2013 festival near Allahabad (India)

The wooden fence in the water and the small boats near the fence are for safety, as most of the Hindu pilgrims can't swim!

The Triveni Sangam is the confluence of the Yamuna and the Ganga (Ganges) rivers, and this is the holiest place to take the ritual baths during the Kumbh Mela.

This was the early morning of Kumbh Maha Snan or main bathing day, also called Mauni Amavasya, which is the the most auspicious morning for taking the holy bath in the Ganges river. After a 7 km night walk, I arrived at the Sangam area at about 2am.

Kumbh Mela is the largest festival on Earth, taking place once every 12 years, with more than 50 million Hindu pilgrims gathering to pray and bathe in the holy Ganges river.

For more photos and info about the Kumbh Mela festival, read the album description.

Date & GPS location
Photo taken on February 10, 2013
Daragang Ghat, Daraganj, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh 211006, India
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