Marking the last day of 55-day-long Maha Kumbh mela,about 50 lakh devotees are expected to take the holy dip on the occasion of Mahashivaratri on Sunday. Thousands of ash smeared mystics and ascetics besides an equal number of pilgrims took the plunge into the waters of the River Ganges to mark the last holy dip of the Kumbh Mela. The Maha Kumbh mela is held every 12 years in Allahabad covering an area larger than Athens,spread over a wide sandy river bank at the point where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet the Saraswati,a mythical river. The festival grows in size every time it is held and is considered the world''s largest temporary gathering of people. The festival has its roots in a Hindu tradition that says the god Vishnu wrested a golden pot from demons containing the nectar of immortality. In a 12-day fight for possession,four drops fell to earth,in the cities of Allahabad,Haridwar,Ujjain 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.
