"Despite the hardships of waking early, plunging into the polluted river water and the relentless crush of the crowds..."

"... pilgrims from all over the world described feeling spiritually uplifted and amazed by the scale of the event."

120 million participate in the Kumbh Mela (a once-every-12-years event).

That link goes to a news story, but here's an inside look, with photos, from Eric Johnson (of Iowa, U.S.A.):

Hungry and tired, we arrive in Allahabad at 11 p.m. and search for the accommodations we've booked. At 2 a.m. we find our camp — two canvas tents walled in with corrugated metal sheets. Nine people share our tent. The cost is 500 rupees ($10) per person per night. For a patch of straw on the ground, it seems expensive....

We drift into and out of camps and meet oddly decorated babas (holy men) and a guru from Bangladesh. Two of the babas have white and red sailboats painted all over their bodies. The guru tells us:

"Stop the clock,

ban the bomb,

milk the cow,

remember Ram!"

If you were a Bangladeshi guru, and you encountered a man from Iowa, what would you say?

ADDED: It sounds like another verse to "All Together Now." You know:

Sail the ship

Chop the tree

Skip the rope

Look at me 

Can I have a little more?