Dehradun, Feb. 3 -- The Kumbh Mela can be described in a number of ways - a "sacred tradition", "the supreme pilgrimage", "an ascendance", "a holy confluence of rivers", and most appropriately, " a gathering of people so large it is beyond comprehension of sight and sound".

It is widely believed that the Kumbh Mela is a religious festival which originated in the formative years of the Sanatan Dharma. The religious mela, i.e., a fair in Prayagraj has not only survived, but also evolved with the passage of time.

It was common for the early Aryans to organise yearly fairs at specific times at different locations. There are many Puranic references about the significance of "Prayag", "sangam", the month of "magh", and the "sagar manthan". Th...