Culture
The World's Biggest Pop-Up City
As many as 100 million people could gather for Kumbh Mela in the northern Indian city of Allahabad.
The largest human gathering in the world is going on right now. Upwards of a million pilgrims have already gathered where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers allegedly meet a third, mythical river. The 48-day festival of Kumbh Mela takes place every twelve years; officials predict this will be the largest ever.
Officials say as many as 100 million people may pass through the temporary city, which covers an area about the size of Athens. Visitors take turns dashing into the river to wash away karmic sins. As the Huffington Post reports: