Or, the Maha Kumbh Mela. It's the costume drama of nirvana and the passion play of the East. The naked dance of asceticism and Hara-Hara delirium of the hippie. There arrival is a rhythmic, masculine performance. It's a horse back ride or a barefoot march.
Nudes are as big a draw in India as they are anywhere else in the world.
Among other things, the just finished Mahakumbh at Allahabad was also the largest gathering of nudes in the world, if Guinness book would care to confirm. The reverence of the masses, and the curiosity of spectacle seekers, for the nude gentlemen was touching. Jawaharlal Nehru's presence at the Prayag Kumbh in 1953 had caused more than a flutter. In the crush of pilgrims eager to catch a glimpse of Nehru, some were hurled across the barricades on to the path reserved for the sadhus. This was followed by a stampede, in which a large number of people were killed.