The Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of people on Earth. Four Kumbh Mela pilgrimages take place at four sacred sites, Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik and Ujjain, over a period of 12 years.
Washing in holy river water is at the centre of the Kumbh Mela as Hindus believe this cleanses them of bad karma. The 2013 Kumbh Mela, held at Allahabad on the confluence of the Yamuna and Ganges Rivers, attracted around 120 million pilgrims, nearly twice the population of the UK.
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