The Traveler's Perspective
From a traveler's perspective, the Kumbh Mela is really crowded and really mellow. Not in the sense of being quiet, in that there's loudspeakers blaring all over the place most of the time, but in the attitude of the pilgrims who come to pay their respects at the mela. There is a certain sense of humility in awe of this major cosmic event that has been celebrated across the generations. The administration makes a big effort to keep it clean but there's a lot of sand everywhere since you're on the banks of the river and the sheer magnitude of the event makes it difficult to regulate. Most of the people attending the mela are very simple and from the villages. The devout spend the entire month at the mela.
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