Getting to Haridwar, four people crammed up in the front of a vikram. But veeery excited! Kumbh Mela is one of the craziest of India's festivals and is the biggest religious congregation on earth!! The legend behind this festival: When this World was created the gods and the demons got in a fight over the nectar of immortality (amrit). By accident four drops of the nectar fell four different places in India, and these four places are now hosting the Kumbh Mela on turn every third year. This means that the mela only takes place in each of these places every 12 years. Haridwar is by far the coolest and most important of these places! As the Ganges reaches the mainland from the Himalayas on this spot Haridwar is on of the holiest cities in India. Besides, the god Shiva is believed to live in the Himalayas, and the holy Ganges is believed to emanate from his hair. Thousands and thousands of holy men who normally live in the Himalaya mountains trying to live like Shiva therefore come down on this special occasion every 12 years when the Kumbh Mela takes place in Haridwar. Many of them are naked and smeared in ashes. Most of them smoke chillums constantly (because Shiva does so). Some of them have given crazy promises like holding up their arm or standing on one leg forever. Some of them had sticks or locks or other strange things tied to their genitals. Some of them eat dead bodies. And all of them without exception were having a great time at the kumbh! The festival started in February and ends today!!! (April 28th) and has all together attracted around 50 million people. Perhaps more! My God, it was so crowded!! I stayed at the neighboring town Rishikesh and went on day trips to Haridwar.