"Today the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, India, is a major Hindu religious pilgrimage and the largest religious gathering in the world. In 2001, according to the government of Uttar Pradesh, 30 million pilgrims were drawn to the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna on the most auspicious day for bathing. In an impressive feat of organization and administration, the first mela of the new millennium was managed to the overwhelming satisfaction of most, with an impressive health and safety record." "Kama Maclean tells the important story of the Kumbh Mela with detail as well as scholarly attention, illuminating for the reader the full scope of the event's historical and sociopolitical context."--Jacket.