The Kumbha Mela is a huge religious fair that is held every twelve years at Allahabad and in turn at other sacred places. About fifteen million people attended the last one held in January 1989. The word Kumbha means Aquarius and the gatherings take place when the sun passes the sign of Aquarius and hence the name. Rivers Ancestor worship is another common feature of a pilgrimage. Most pilgrimage sites are either water bodies or have a lake or pond where the devotees can take a purifying dip as water washes away physical dirt and as the Hindus believe it even cleanses the souls.
Rivers are a prominent feature of pilgrimage.
Water means life and rivers represent the life-giving nature of God. Water not only washes outwardly but also is symbolic of inner spiritual cleansing. The banks of rivers have been the favourite dwelling places of the Gods, the Hindu gurus and sages, and have been the scene in which many Hindu scriptures have been composed. The Ganges is the most sacred river and is a gift from heaven, and to bathe in it or drink from it is highly purifying. So all Hindus hope to bathe in the Ganges once in their lifetime and hope that their ashes will be cast into it.