Kumbh Mela, Haridwar Apr 2010

Kumbh Mela, was held in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. North India between January 14th to April 28th, 2010. The purna Kumbh Mela takes place once in twelve years and is one of the biggest religious gatherings on the planet which takes places on the banks of the river Ganga. The number of pilgrims this year is expected to exceed around five million since the first day Jan 14 till the time it concludes on April 28, 2010. The auspicious days of the shahi snan or royal baths usually draw hundreds of thousands of devotees to the Har Ki Paudi and other banks of the river. Uttarakhand. North India. The Kumbh Mela with its swirling crowds can be as physically daunting as it is spiritually fulfilling for those who believe in it . Thousands of pilgrims, mostly Hindus, flocked to Haridwar for the snan (holy dip). The Maha Kumbh Mela ('Great' Kumbh Mela) comes after a cyle of twelve 'Purna Kumbh Melas' which is after every 144 years and is held at Allahabad, UP. The 2001, Maha Kumbh Mela was attended by around 60 million people, making it the largest gathering anywhere in the world.