If you think finding your son at the mall is difficult, try locating a lost family member at the world's biggest-ever human gathering. More than 70 million people are expected to attend this month's Maha Kumbh Mela, or grand pitcher festival, in India. The 42-day Hindu event happens once every 12 years, during which participants bathe in holy water, pray and inevitably lose their loved ones in the teeming throngs.
Separation is so common it's become a standard theme in Indian movies.
This year, organizers are turning to the Internet for help. Employees will help separated pilgrims, many of whom are illiterate and unfamiliar with computers, to check an online registry of missing persons and track down lost relatives. It's called lekking. Peacocks flaunt their tails, deer butt antlers and Texans ride mechanical bulls. Apparently he resorts to his cellphone.