Search for: [Object description = "Photo \(scan from slide\). Kumbh mela views. In the foreground you can see the path taken by the procession of ascetics going to the waters of the Ganges and Yamuna. Above the heads of the pilgrims, one can see ascetics \(naga\) classified as one of the strictest formulas of asceticism. They walk almost naked, smear ash on their bodies and their hair is braided in dreadlocks. There is an inscription on the banner showing the name of the monastery \(akhara\) and the name of its prior. The road is separated from pilgrims by a fence made of thick piles. Behind the fence stands a crowd of pilgrims watching the holy men. The ascetics are considered saints with power, and contact with them is considered a sign of prosperity. The procession takes place during the kumbh mela festival, which takes place in Allahabad every 12 years \(after 6 years, there is a so\-called half\-mela\). It is the most numerous festival in Northern India, and the uniqueness of Allahabad is that it lies where the Jamuna flows into the Ganges. The place where the waters merge, and this place is precisely visible in the different colors of the two waters \- is considered to be particularly suitable for a bath during kumbh mela."]