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The festival has its roots in a Hindu tradition that says the god Vishnu wrested from demons a
golden pot containing the nectar of immortality.
In a 12-day fight for possession, four drops fell to earth, in the cities of Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujain
and Nasik. Every three years a Kumbh Mela is held at one of these spots, with the festival at
Allahabad the holiest of them all.
More than 2,000 years old, the festival is a meeting point for the Hindu sadhus, some who live in
forests or Himalayan caves, and who belong to dozens of inter-related congregations. The sects have
their own administration and elect leaders, but are also known for violent clashes with each other.
Some naked, some wrapped in saffron or leopard-print cloth and smoking cannabis pipes, the holy
men hold court by fire pits in sprawling camps decorated with colored neon lights, where they are
visited by pilgrims who proffer alms and get blessings.
Despite their asceticism, the sects, known as akharas, are moving with the times. Swami
Avdheshanand Giri Ji, who leads one of the main groups, has a Facebook page. Some gurus advertise
on billboards and posters to attract followers, others drive trucks and chat on cellphones.
At the riverbank, men with dreadlocked beards to their feet vied for media attention with yogis
supporting heavy weights with their genitals, while others holding golden umbrellas, flags and
swords rubbed sand on their bodies after the dip.
"I feel pleasure," grinned Digambar Navraman Giri," who said he had not sat down for a year, even
sleeping on foot. "This is why I became a sadhu," he said, steam rising from his body in the cold air
and wearing nothing but two rings on his fingers.
Baba Ram Puri was given to his guru by his parents when he was barely one year old. At 31, he is
now a young spiritual leader himself and says Indians with disposable income want to support
traditional holy men.
"They earn a lot of money but they don't get peace, so they turn to spirituality," he said, sitting on
cushions by a smoking fire. "That's why we continue to grow in strength."
Jim Mallinson, a Sanskrit scholar and expert on sadhus, says that, while exact numbers are hard to
come by, it appears the sects are growing in strength and size, and the fair is becoming more
religious.
"I suspect it is because the emerging middle classes are more than happy to spend their surplus cash
on sustaining the sadhu tradition," he said.