“We headed toward the river this morning and it was chaotic to say the least. Most of the streets were closed to car traffic and packed with millions of pedestrians heading to Kumbh Mela for the last of the main bathing days. It took us an hour and a half to walk the last 1.5 km. The loud speakers were blaring, mostly with information about lost children who had become separated from their parents – easy to happen in such a mass of humanity. When we got to the river, the shoreline was packed as far as the eye could see; many already in the river while others waited their turn to immerse themselves. For Hindus, to bathe in this river cleanses the spirit and purifies the sole. While smaller Kumbh Melas occur every 3 years in 3 other locales, the next “mega Kumbh” in Allahabad won’t take place for another 12 years. After experiencing these crowds, downtown Vancouver will seem down-right quiet!” ~ Mark Angelo
