Allahabad Kumbh Mela

The Allahabad Kumbh Mela, also Prayag Kumbh Mela, is a mela, or religious gathering, associated with Hinduism and held in the city of Allahabad, India, at the Prayag or Triveni Sangam—which represents the confluence of three rivers two of which, the Ganges and the Yamuna, have objective existence, and one, the Sarasvati is mythical. The festival is marked by a ritual dip in the waters, but it is also a celebration of community commerce with numerous fairs, education, religious discourses by saints, mass feedings of monks or the poor, and entertainment spectacle. Approximately 50 and 30 million people attended the Allahabad Ardh Kumbh Mela in 2019 and Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013 respectively to bathe in the holy river Ganges, making them the largest peaceful gathering events in the world.