Kumbh Mela : mapping the ephemeral megacity The Kumbh Mela is a Hindu religious fair that occurs every twelve years at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers on the plains of northern India. ... The most recent observance of the festival took place from January 14 to March 10 2013 in Allahabad with an estimated attendance of seventy million people. Due to its size and complexity the 2013 Kumbh Mela inspired interdisciplinary research in a number of complementary fields at Harvard University including business technology and communications urban studies and design religious and cultural studies and public health.