Kumbh Mela Officially Begins in India

Hindu priests perform during an aarti ceremony on the banks of the Ganges river during the Maha Kumbh Mela, Jan. 15, 2013, in Allahabad, India. The Maha Kumbh Mela, believed to be the largest religious gathering on earth is held every 12 years on the banks of Sangam, the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)