Kumbh Mela: The Greatest Show on Earth

February 2013. Allahabad, India.

Over the next 55 days,

nearly 100 million people will come here to the great Kumbh Mela.

This incredible and awe-inspiring celebration of the world's

oldest religion happens every 12 years,

at the place where Hindus believe two sacred rivers meet.

-No better place to pray than the Ganges.

-Yeah.

Can't get much more religious than that.

For Hindus, this is one of their most important festivals

and it happens at this holy site.

At the time of the Kumbh Mela, at the point of the confluence of the

rivers, a space opens up between this world and the spiritual.

Hindus come to cleanse themselves in the sacred waters

of the River Ganges.

To pray and emerge purified and renewed.

There is something very powerful about this place. There is an energy.

We follow British pilgrims as they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime

spiritual journey.

I'm hoping that I will go there and I will be absorbed in this festival

and see how other people convey Hinduism, how they practise it.

I really want to go to Kumbh, because as a Hindu, I feel

I want to experience the spiritual aspects of my religion.

I'm looking to be inspired,

maybe leave with some sort of permanent change in my life.

A journey that will take them into the heart of Hinduism.

Its philosophy, its beliefs, its traditions.

We are talking about passing things down thousands

and thousands of years.

A journey that will culminate in the largest

gathering of humans in one place, ever.

Every 12 years, Hindus gather here, on the banks of the River Ganges.

They believe that the great river descended

from the mystical world to this one.

Its waters are therefore considered pure and purifying.

The ritual significance of the Ganges

is that it is seen as a place where

pilgrims in this life may

purify themselves of sins that they may have accrued.

The first of the spectacular processions that marks

the opening of the Kumbh Mela is underway.

Over the next 55 days, it is estimated that

a staggering 100 million people will spend some time here.

Nearly 30 million will be here in 10 days' time, to take part

in one of the high points of the Mela, a mass bathe in the Ganges.

The Kumbh Mela is literally the Festival of the Pitcher.

The pitcher is that in which

the nectar of immortality is supposed

to have been found and fought over by the Gods and the Demons.

Some drops of it fell to Earth.

And the places where it fell are places where the Kumbh Mela

is now celebrated.

There are millions here, from all over the world.

Some simply want to experience the sheer numbers, the magnitude

and the spectacle.

But the majority are pilgrims drawn here for spiritual reasons.

Helen O'Hagan has been in India for the last three months,

living in a yoga centre.

Born in Britain and brought up in a Catholic family,

she recently gave up her job as a business development manager

in an international law firm.

I was reasonably happy day-to-day in my job.

But there was something missing.

I kind of felt, am I being really irresponsible here?

Because I'm in a very privileged situation,

in that I have a really good job,

but it became such a burning

within me that it was almost a choiceless decision.

You know, I'm 34 in a couple of days and all my friends around me

are having babies and getting married and everything.

My family are very supportive of me being here.

I don't think they completely understand why I'm here,

but they just want me to be happy.

I just knew that I needed to take some time in my life

to dedicate myself to the spiritual path.

Since the heady days of flower power in the '60s and '70s,

Westerners have been heading East in search of spiritual enlightenment.

At the forefront of that movement were the Beatles.

They embraced Hindu practices, like meditation and yoga.

Their enthusiasm inspired many people to explore

Hindu spirituality and practice for themselves.

One of those who made that journey and never went home

is American, Baba Rampuri.

I grew up in Beverly Hills, California.

From my entry into India, more than 43 years ago,

it was a magical world that I was entering.

I wanted to reach the, the sharp edges of culture.

I came here to discover rich, ancient, substantial culture.

And I got considerably more than I had been wishing for.

You could say that when I came to India, I was looking for magic

and mystery in India. And indeed, I found it.

Arriving at the Kumbh Mela is Shivali Bhammer,

a 26-year-old from London.

Although she has travelled to India many times, she has never been

to a Hindu festival before, let alone one on this scale.

Oh, my God!

It looks like an extremely colourful refugee camp, doesn't it?

You see a lot of people carrying, obviously,

a lot of goods on their heads.

I guess it's almost quite humbling in a way that, you know, this is

what people do, they travel all this way and they don't have much.

And yet, they believe in something so greatly.

To me, it's actually just an opportunity to observe and learn

and see how other people convey Hinduism, how they practise it.

Shivali is an economics graduate and former City trader,

whose husband also works in finance.

She was born and grew up in London's fashionable Knightsbridge.

Although she was brought up as a Hindu,

the Kumbh, for Shivali, is a way to discover her Indian roots

and develop her growing interest in religion.

Since giving up her job in the City,

she has decided to become a singer of Hindu-inspired pop songs.

I sing devotional music, because to me, it is

the sweetest form of singing.

To me, if you're going to sing,

sing about good things and virtues

and greatness, and aspire for something better.

So, that's what devotional singing is about.

Shivali's parents run a successful business.

They have maintained strong links with India.

12 years ago, her mother went to the Kumbh Mela,

an experience she found quite challenging.

I mean, of course, it was lovely to see all these saints

and sadhus who have meditated for years up the Himalayas,

and they all come down, they all have some sort of strong faith.

So, it was nice to see that, but it was also sad to see,

because I just don't like too much poverty, I didn't like to see that.

For many pilgrims to the Kumbh Mela,

the most moving part of their trip will be plunging into the sacred

waters of the Ganges in order to purify themselves of their sins.

-Shivali is keen to experience this for herself.

-Definitely, definitely.

I would like to do that.

It is meant to cleanse the soul, it is meant to purify you.

I think the purification is mental.

I think it is something you decide to do.

The act of immersing yourself in the Ganga is reinstating that desire.

Shivali, like most Hindus, worships many gods, goddesses and deities.

But Hindus believe these gods are all aspects of one divinity.

The vast majority of Hindus are monotheistic,

they believe that there is one God, manifest in many different ways.

All these forms, extremely colourful.

You walk into any temple and there are smells and sights

and wonderful manifestations.

But they are all manifestations of the same spiritual being.

Hindu myths depict many gods, who are worshipped across India

and around the world.

Including the Goddess Lakshmi, who provides wealth and purity.

Vishnu, who protects the world.

And Shiva, who transcends the universe

through his meditation and insight.

In a West London living room,

a group of British Hindus prepare to perform ancient rituals of worship.

In the UK, there are nearly a million Hindus.

One of them is 39-year-old Dr Manish Pankhania,

also known as Roshan,

who is going to the Kumbh Mela for the first time.

The main reason I'm going is that I have an opportunity to attend

what is probably one of the greatest events on the face of the Earth,

with a very special person, that is my spiritual guide, my guru.

So, it is an opportunity to be part of an amazing festival,

with the person who has taken responsibility

for my spiritual path.

I met my guru at the end of a yoga course.

I was looking for someone and he actually found me.

Often, the guru recognises the disciple before the disciple

recognises the guru.

I'd had many teachers before, who imparted knowledge.

But what I needed was someone

who could give me his realisation of the divine.

Roshan has been with his guru, Swami Vishwananda, for the last six years.

He has high hopes of his journey to the Kumbh.

I will learn something, perhaps something about who

I really am, perhaps something about my true nature.

There is something I want to learn, which is, what this

essence of me is, which is not material, but it is spiritual.

At the Kumbh, there are now just six days to go

until the mass bathe.

Among the many pilgrims arriving are groups of Hindu devotional singers.

This one has come specially

to perform for the American, Baba Rampuri.

JOYFUL SINGING

The great Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years.

In Hindu belief, that is how long the fight between good

and evil over the control of immortality lasted.

The festival goes on for 55 days,

reflecting the two cycles of the moon.

Hinduism is the largest religion of the Indian subcontinent,

with nearly a billion followers.

Hinduism is difficult to define initially, because it does not have

a single founder, a definite set of texts or a single set of beliefs.

So, from our vantage point in history,

we can look back and say Hinduism is that dynamic,

interconnected set of traditions which resemble each other

and have loosely overlapping sets of beliefs, practices, texts,

cultural values, norms and aesthetic history.

It is this long history that draws 100 million Hindus to

the Kumbh, rich and poor, male and female, young and old.

Pilgrimage is, and has always been, a very compelling practice.

The idea of travelling for a religious reason

gives people an incentive,

as far as the potential for transformation in their lives.

And the idea of going to the Kumbh, which is understood

as the holiest time and the holiest place,

manages to combine all those facets in one.

This is not a luxurious undertaking for poor pilgrims,

it is quite an ordeal for them to come and do this.

Why so many and why do they go through this?

What they are expecting back is blessings,

because traditionally, this is why they have come,

and their fathers and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers,

and why they've been coming for thousands of years.

Came here after a long trip from Italy, all the way overland,

so, many buses, cars and people brought me here, actually.

Many Hindus at the Kumbh have come from all over the world.

Roshan is one of the 25 million Hindus of Indian descent living

in other countries who come to the Kumbh to connect with their roots.

He has just arrived here from London.

So many people, but yet, it's so orderly. That's the nice thing.

I feel so open in my heart, that I have a chance to come here

and be part of this festival.

With five days to go until one of the high points of the festival,

the mass bathe, Kumbh is heaving with people.

The pilgrims live in a temporary city,

which has been built on the flood plain where the two rivers meet.

Once the Mela finishes, all this will disappear within weeks.

Those who can afford it rent tents to sleep in.

Many simply camp out in the open.

At night, the temperature

often drops to four or five degrees centigrade.

Kumbh is also good for business.

-Look at all the tents!

-The tents are amazing.

-Amazing.

And it's so cold, it's like, ohh!

Kanan Thakerar is a London-based businesswoman.

She is here with her niece, Riya, a 22-year-old student.

We wanted to get here for sunrise, and it's just...

I can't even put it into words. Amazing, incredible.

We had read about it for so long and now we are actually here,

I don't think you could ever prepare for this.

You see "100 million" on the internet and you think,

how is it going to be? But it's so calm and peaceful, it's lovely.

Coming from London and kind of anticipating, but I don't think

you can, you can't really anticipate what this is going to be like.

By being a Hindu, basically, I want to do the best that I can

for others and for myself.

So, it's about being a good person, adhering to certain norms

and values, and living them.

Kanan is in the process of setting up a consultancy business.

She advises companies and businesses interested in establishing

themselves in the lucrative Indian market.

Our understanding of India is very, very strong, having been there,

having travelled there.

I would say, in the past 20 years, I've got

so much cultural experience, but India is my passion, so I have really

taken it to heart and really learned how business is done, you know.

Brought up in a traditional, orthodox family,

Kanan is now more of a liberal-minded Hindu,

but is keen to explore the spiritual side of her faith.

I've gone through phases in my life

where I've been more religious or more spiritual.

But I think that there is an undercurrent,

we've been brought up with that, so our family is fairly religious.

So it's in our blood, I think, it's an undercurrent that guides us.

Riya is at university, studying economics.

Her finals are just six months away.

I want to try and prepare myself,

mentally and spiritually, just before.

So I think the Kumbh is the best place for me to do that.

I think it's going to be a good trip.

If I'm honest, I'm not really that religious.

I mean, I do go to the temple, but I wouldn't say I go every week.

I do go, but it's for, like, big occasions.

100 million people gathering in one place, with that devotion

and that faith, I think will be incredibly awesome.

I'd love to see what drives that culture to actually do that.

The Kumbh Mela not only attracts ordinary Hindus,

it is also the largest gathering of Hindu holy men, or sadhus,

who follow traditions which go back nearly 4,000 years.

They stand out in their saffron-coloured robes,

the colour symbolising sacrifice and renunciation.

Sadhus are a leading tradition of renouncers,

people who give up all ties to their former social life,

their families, their work,

and live alone in the world, in search of their spiritual goal.

Baba Rampuri is a sadhu, and for a non-Indian,

it hasn't been an easy journey.

I think it took me 20 years before I understood anything.

That's 20 years living within this environment.

It's astoundingly complicated and sophisticated,

and as complicated and sophisticated as a family may be,

especially extended families, like you find in India,

the sadhu family, the family of yogis, is a mirror image of that.

And there are as intricate relationships within the sadhu

family as there are within the Indian family.

Outside the big cities, in the more traditional small towns

and villages of rural India, sadhus still have a unique spiritual role.

Believers offer them food and money and ask for their blessings.

If someone has the discipline to renounce householder life,

they accrue a certain kind of power, that can convey that higher or

cosmic or larger-than-life blessing that a householder might seek.

This is the whole role of a sadhu, to sacrifice.

This is the meaning of the sadhu life, it is one of sacrifice.

One makes a sacrifice of one's self-interest in the world.

To become a sadhu is not a consumer thing.

There is no real promised pay-off, at the end of the day.

Basically, you give up everything and practise austerities

and there is no guarantee that there is going to be any result.

Maybe you die practising austerities!

Some sadhus take the concept of renunciation to extreme lengths.

These ascetics wear no clothes and cover their bodies with ash,

symbolising the cycle of life, death and rebirth, which is

one of the core beliefs of Hinduism.

Ash has got a very particular significance.

Wearing it and smearing it on yourself means

that you have become born again.

So, ash has got both death and life associated with it.

FLUTES PLAY, CYMBALS TINKLE

The alleys and streets of Kumbh are lined by these Hindu holy men.

There are nearly 30,000 of them here, from all over India.

In some parts, he seemed very sincere, his eyes did,

and he did sort of give a very peaceful persona.

I felt at ease, sitting with him.

I could have sat with him all day and not said much, but enjoyed

sitting with him, and that has a lot to do with his energy.

'We are here in these bodies this time around.

'Our inner essence, soul, if you like, will come back around

'again and again and again,'

in another form and another form and another form.

It's a cyclical view of time, if you will.

Someone who is born into a good circumstance

will think, in their previous life, they have done good actions.

Hence, this is the result of these good actions.

Someone born into a difficult situation

could transform by the right choices.

So, we do have an influence on this circumstance.

Our choice has influence on all our actions and our path.

At the Kumbh, many rich Hindus provide free food for the pilgrims.

People do good deeds, broadly for two reasons.

They'd say, it's our duty to society, we have the resources,

so they'd say, it's our dharma, it's our duty, it's our nature to do so.

They might also say,

we do it because we hope that we will accrue some benefits,

we'll get good karma, good consequences of the actions we do.

Sadhus depend for their survival on this idea of doing good deeds.

They live off donations from devout Hindus.

It's traditional that people might donate cloth, the dhotis,

what we wear as clothing, they might donate kamandals,

the brass pots, blankets or almost anything else.

But what is curious about a donation of goods is that

a donation of goods is always accompanied by a cash donation

that very often exceeds the value of the goods themselves.

There are now just three days to go until one of the most important

days of the Kumbh Mela, the day of the mass bathe in the River Ganges.

One of the most important dates for bathing will be the new moon,

which this time happened on the 10th of February.

The new moon, of course, is associated with rebirth,

with the coming back of light.

And so, it is that sense of transformation of the self

that is associated with that day, and therefore is auspicious.

While certain days are considered more important than others,

at the Kumbh Mela, pilgrims can come when they want

and stay for however long suits them.

There are no rules.

Kanan Thakerar and her niece, Riya, can only stay for a short time.

Business and exam commitments mean they need to get back to London.

For them, this is their big day.

They head towards the holy Ganges for the ritual dip,

the high point of their stay at the Kumbh Mela.

Bathing itself is associated with the purification of the body

and indirectly, the purification of the inner being.

While bathing in general is a religious ritual for most Hindus,

bathing in a river is particularly important,

and bathing in the Ganges, the most important of all.

Can you really imagine, Riya, we're going to actually do this!

Dip in the water. It's incredible! Absolutely incredible.

So, I'm guessing we're dipping down there.

That's probably the best place, right?

Shall we dip? Because everyone is saying, "Do it,"

Some people are saying, "Don't do it."

Everyone is saying it's very, very cold.

The colour of the water makes it look dirty, so it's like,

you know, are you really going to go through that process?

-Are you going to put your whole body in?

-Yeah.

And I guess it's like,

totally being submerged in the water and coming back,

they say that seven generations will be cleansed within your family.

So that's really something special.

And I think we've come all the way here, we've made the effort,

I think it would be a shame not to.

If you're here, you've got to go with it.

SHE SQUEALS

'I am really worried about my upcoming exams,

'but I am glad to be part of the Kumbh and to be here.

'It's just given me the faith to face my exams and my future.

'And it's an experience that I'm never going to get again.'

It's very, very cold, but I am glad I did it, definitely.

-Good.

-Amazing. Really, it's just...

You know, when you're standing there and you're ready to go in,

and still that trepidation of, "Am I really going to do this?"

And then it just takes you, there's no stopping it, really.

-Once you're in, you're in.

-The next phase is, you're in.

And to be a part of something... I mean, it's vast, this is vast,

but it's all about everybody coming together.

You can never, ever put this into words,

never, in terms of this experience will always stay with us.

-No better place to pray than the Ganges.

-Yeah.

-Can't really get much more religious than that.

-Yeah.

After they have bathed, Hindus offer marigold flowers.

They pray, lifting the water and letting it fall back,

as a gift to the gods.

MUSIC AND SINGING

THEY SING, CYMBALS TINKLE

Shivali is using her time at the Mela not just to pray

and dip in the Ganges.

She also hopes to get inspiration for her new

career as a singer of Hindu pop songs.

She has found a band of singers, performing devotional hymns.

These hymns do have a very ancient background

and the point of coming to the Kumbh is trying to discover

who are the original singers of these hymns.

I happened to find a group here who have been singing

hymns about Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva is the destroyer of the universe and of course,

this means that once it is destroyed, it can be recreated.

So this is a great thing.

Lord Shiva has many devotees, such as this group,

they play a very important part in preserving Hindu tradition

and passing it on through their singing.

THEY START SINGING AGAIN

They sing from their heart and they are telling a story and they believe

in what they are saying and they want you to share that experience.

They actually romanticise spirituality and devotion.

They make it something that you feel like falling in love with.

THEY SING JOYFULLY

That feeling of falling in love with the Lord is what

they are trying to convey.

THEY CHEER

That is called religion

and that is the best part of the Kumbh Mela I've found so far.

Hindus can take a ritual dip in the Ganges at any time,

but traditionally,

and at the Kumbh, the most auspicious time to bathe is at dawn.

Dawn has the capacity for transformation, because it is

a moment of change and therefore,

if you want to talk about the energy or the potential

inherent in different times of the day, that would be a heightened one.

Among the thousands gathering on the river bank is Roshan from London.

Nothing can prepare you for this.

I mean, I look out and I've never seen so many people in all my life.

The mind cannot function when you see something like this,

it's on a scale I've never experienced before.

Hindus bathe here wearing whatever they have come in,

or change into more traditional clothes.

There is no dress code for this ritual.

I have the belief, the faith, that coming here at this auspicious time

does cleanse me, it does clear sins, karma, whatever you want to call it.

More important for me

is that whatever transformation has happened, it continues.

HE CHANTS

So, it's not so much about just what happens

when you enter those holy waters, it is

what has changed in you on a more permanent basis that will continue.

And that is what I'm really looking for.

Roshan is here with his guru, or spiritual guide.

Swami Vishwananda was born in Mauritius, but now lives in Germany,

where he runs a temple.

He has a large following of mainly European Hindus.

To become a guru, there is many ways.

Firstly, I would say you need the permission,

the divine permission, firstly.

You can't just become a guru just by saying, one day after the other,

"I am a guru."

'I am born like this.

'So, there is a certain guru which is born a guru,

'but still, you have always to get initiated.'

Originally, the guru was a highly qualified spiritual teacher

and instructor.

They are seen to have attained some kind of insight

and society accepts them as being qualified to teach.

I think over a period of time,

becoming a guru has become more a question of charisma,

of appeal, of being able to speak to people about their concerns.

'I think my guru is an embodiment of the divine.

'He is there to help seekers attain the same realisation that he has.'

And he understands our purpose in life,

he understands why we are here and his role is to get us

to that end point in the quickest way possible.

But within the constraints

and limitations we have as worldly people.

The teacher is there to show you the way, to help you on your way,

but you have to walk the way. And he will be there to support you.

So this is how the guru help in one life.

Like Roshan, Helen O'Hagan also has her very own guru.

Since meeting him, he has become a major influence on her life.

When I came across Sadhguru, it was like, it was like lightning.

It was... I knew that that was what I had been looking for.

'Sadhguru says that having a guru is like having a road map in life.

'He is just guiding me.

'He says all the time, the answers are within.'

But by doing things like closing your eyes from the circus

sometimes around you, to actually search and find what is within.

If you really want to experience life,

the only way you can experience life is by enhancing your perception.

If you read a book, you listen to somebody's teaching,

or you believe something, it is only a psychological process, it is

not an experiential process.

If you have to experience something, the only way is you have to

be able to expand the horizons of your perception.

That I can do to her, if she is willing.

Sadhguru has prescribed a rigorous set of yogic practices

for Helen, to help her focus on her spiritual development.

I've been in silence for two months

and it's been a period of no eye contact,

no communication with anyone, apart from my guru. Why?

When you are in silence, things that are deep within you,

they become louder. It's very hard to put it into words.

In fact, it's quite strange, being out of silence now.

I've had some really profound experiences through

the time that I've been in silence. There have been moments

when I have experienced...

You experience other people as part of yourself.

As a spectacle, it's beautiful. Culturally... Wow.

To see all these things that are just so different from city life.

But that's not why I'm here.

I'm here to experience the energy of Kumbh.

It wasn't as cold as I expected! There is something...

There is something very powerful about this place. There is a...

-an energy, definitely.

-Do you feel it?

-Yes, yes.

Definitely.

At her yoga centre,

Helen is being taught meditation and yoga by her guru.

The yoga that I practise, it doesn't belong to any religion.

You will see in the ashram, there are all sorts there,

from many countries, many religions, many cultures.

Today in the West, yoga is a common

and widespread form of physical exercise.

But for Hindus, it is much more than that.

Centuries ago, Hindu priests developed a philosophy

that tried to unite the body and mind.

Yoga originally means conjunction, a joining together.

A yoking, which is the same word. Yoking of what?

It's a yoking of the mind to discipline,

so that thoughts are controlled and purified.

Some Hindu holy men practise extreme forms of yogic postures.

For them, this is the way to use their minds to control their bodies.

Once we start acknowledging that physical discipline is

intrinsic to spiritual discipline, what happens

if we push the body to its very extremes?

In concentrating on that, maybe our spiritual focus will also increase.

So, long-time practitioners, especially among these renouncing

sadhus, tend to put more effort into what might seem contortions.

Because by putting more effort in pushing the body to its limits,

we push the mind to its limits.

Other sadhus go a step further.

For centuries, they have practised extreme forms of asceticism,

putting their bodies through great pain in an attempt

to control their physical desires and free their minds.

After two days at the Kumbh, Shivali is about to take her dip.

In India, men and women are often segregated.

But here at the Kumbh, there is a very easy

and comfortable mingling of the sexes.

HE SINGS, CYMBALS CLASH

The vast majority of pilgrims bathe from the river bank.

Those who want more privacy and who can afford it

take a boat out into the middle of the river and bathe from there.

I think this is probably my favourite spot. This is the most peaceful spot.

This spot is probably the least polluted so far that I have seen.

Now she is confronted with the reality,

Shivali is having second thoughts about dipping in the Ganges.

Yeah, it always sounds good.

And then, of course, you come and you realise, I realise that

I just don't have the strength they have and I don't have the...

I guess it takes a lot of,

a lot of belief to step into these rivers, in the freezing cold

and believe that you're going to be cleansed of your sins.

I, I don't know if I feel that way any more, I don't know

if I feel that you have to bathe in the river to cleanse yourself.

I think it's more subtle than that.

Of course, I will dip my hands in, because you don't want to take

the risk, you want to just cleanse, just in case it works!

But I think the rebirthing and the cleansing process, to me,

is something I have to do every day.

I actually apologised to the Lord and said,

"I haven't done a dip, but forgive me for that, because I love you

"as much as anyone else and my sincerity is in my devotion.

"And so, cleanse me anyway."

Many experts support Shivali's fear that the water is heavily polluted.

But most pilgrims are not deterred.

People continue to take a bath,

because they still consider the Ganges to be pure in essence.

So, even though its physical manifestation is contaminated,

the essence of the Ganges is not contaminated.

So they will still take their bath.

An estimated 200 million litres of sewage

is pumped into the Ganges every day.

At the Kumbh, many religious groups have formed initiatives

to try and clean up the river banks.

What we are trying to do,

wherever I see the toilet, we can take the dirt,

heap on top of it,

anybody's feet or shoes should not go on that.

What we are trying here is a green Kumbh initiative.

We cannot build toilets in the middle of the Ganga.

But at least we can keep it clean.

You try to keep your home so beautiful,

it gives a great impression to your guests.

Looks like the whole Kumbh Mela is my home now, and millions

and millions of people who are coming here are my guests now.

My family members.

If they are coming here, it is my prime duty now,

keep the house clean - this is a huge house!

One more day to go

until the most important mass bathe at the Kumbh Mela.

Millions of people are arriving,

looking forward to the dramatic procession, led by the sadhus.

The authorities are bracing themselves for an estimated

30 million people.

The local police must manage these vast numbers to avoid any

incidents of panic or stampedes.

They have their work cut out.

SIRENS BLARE

The man in charge, with a force of nearly 25,000 men,

is Vijay Bhushan, Superintendent of Police.

There have been a number of terrorist attacks in India.

A huge gathering like this is a prime target.

The police have set up barriers at the entry points to the Kumbh

and plan to ban all motorised vehicles for the next 24 hours.

The newspapers are predicting

that there is 20, 25, maybe 30 million people

that are going to bathe on the 10th of February.

All the bathing begins with the processions of the sadhus.

And this bathing takes place at a mythological moment,

where a drop of the nectar of immortality fell from the heavens.

The waters where the Ganga and the Yamuna are mixing,

at that moment, become the nectar of immortality.

And then, of course, the public wants to come

and share the blessings,

take those blessings as quickly as possible up to that moment.

It has been 12 years in the making,

but one of Hinduism's most sacred rites has finally begun.

About 30,000 naked, ash-covered sadhus lead the procession,

with chants and incantations, leaping to the beat of drums.

Drawn from every part of India,

this is a massive demonstration of faith that connects this modern,

developing nation with its magnificent and ancient heritage.

At the point of the confluence of the rivers,

a space opens up between this world and the celestial.

This world and the spiritual.

And that draw, I think, is what is at the heart of the Kumbh Mela.

This is the moment Roshan has been waiting for.

In an unprecedented move,

the Kumbh authorities have given his group of mainly European Hindus,

led by his guru, permission to take part in the procession.

Until now, only groups based in India were accorded this privilege.

Behind a fragile barrier,

an ocean of pilgrims watch and wait impatiently.

Each one is fired with the same desire, to plunge into the holy

waters, now made even holier by the presence of the sadhus.

As dawn breaks over the river,

the last of the sadhu groups emerge from the water.

Millions of pilgrims now push forward towards the river.

WHISTLES BLOWING JUBILANTLY

Among them are Roshan and his group, with their guru.

Finally, they rush towards the river, to bathe together,

to cleanse and purify themselves.

For them, this is the most glorious moment,

the culmination of their journey.

We took a dip with the sadhus, the holy men,

this is unprecedented - their acceptance of us as foreigners,

there are white people in our group,

the fact that we are not naked like the holy men, we are

fully clothed, this is not something that has been witnessed here before.

And again, it is testimony to the fact that these groups are

opening up and becoming more tolerant

of the wider Hindu community.

CHEERING

The very curious thing about what is happening today here is

that it has been happening like this for thousands and thousands of years.

We think about fashion in the West that lasts a year or two,

an idea, maybe 25, 30 years, a style, God knows how long.

But here, we have to pass something down, not 500 years or

even 1,000 years, we are talking about passing things down

thousands and thousands of years.

And we have been able to do this successfully.

For these pilgrims, it is the end of an extraordinary journey.

Helen is staying on in India, moving back to her ashram

to continue her search for enlightenment.

I'm going away with a feeling of how fortunate I am,

because there are so many people that would...

love to have been in this situation,

to have experienced Kumbh with Sadhguru, something very special.

I'm fortunate.

So, I'm going away with

a much better understanding of what Kumbh is,

having taken a dip...

..and having experienced all of this culture and passion and colour.

It's just beautiful. Those that have been here, we just feel so lucky.

Having taken that dip, I think it's really reaffirmed for me

what Hinduism is, what my faith is, and it's kind of just given me

a real sense of peace, and that's what I'm going to take with me.

It's made me realise just how much

I take for granted, even just little things.

We read about poverty, but I think until you've seen it in large

numbers like the Kumbh, you don't really realise just how bad it is.

The most important memory I'll have is the joy I had

that I was able to walk in that procession with my guru.

And that I took that dip with him.

CHEERING AND WHISTLING

When I was just in the middle of what is

known as the holiest of rivers,

then, for a minute, you feel peaceful.

For a minute, you feel that this is what life is all about.

And I felt, this is the moment that I should remember.

This is what I should become and this is how I should live.

BELLS CHIMING

Like the souls of the 100 million pilgrims who have attended

the Kumbh Mela, Hinduism will continue to be reborn,

to evolve and absorb new ways and ideas.

But at its heart are its values and traditions,

passed down and refined over thousands of years.

It is a faith of nearly a billion followers, and a tenth of them

came to one place for one purpose, to celebrate the Kumbh Mela.

For most of them,

it was a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the heart of their faith.

For them and for millions more, the next 12 years can't pass

soon enough, until the time when this sacred part of India will

once again host the greatest show on Earth.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd