India. Uttar Pradesh state. Allahabad. Maha Kumbh Mela. A young woman takes a holy dip at Sangam. The teenage girl offers water to Mother Ganges (the river is a deity). The Kumbh Mela, believed to be the largest religious gathering is held every 12 years on the banks of the 'Sangam'- the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. In 2013, it is estimated that nearly 80 million devotees took a bath in the water of the holy river Ganges. The belief is that bathing... more »