The Kumbh Mela festival in India is an act of faith, and movement of people, on a miraculous scale. Hindu pilgrims and saddhus arrive in their millions – a sea of humanity pouring in on overcrowded trains, chartered planes, buses, bikes, on horseback and on foot – to wash themselves in sacred rivers in the towns of Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. In doing so, they believe they cleanse themselves of sin and liberate themselves from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. The festival commemorates a mythical battle between gods and demons over a pitcher of the nectar of immortality. The pilgrimage occurs four times every 12 years, once at each of the four locations. This year it was the turn of Haridwar, near Rishikesh, at the foot of the Himalayas, from 14 January – 28 April.

Getting there

TransIndus (+44 (0)20 8566 3739) are running a special Kumbh Mela package as part of their usual 15-day Golden Temple and The Himalaya tour, departing on 3 April 2010. £2020 per person based on two sharing includes flights, accommodation, internal transport and guides.

Guide: Anjeet Kumar. +91 935 9973227; email: ajeetguide@rediffmail.com.

Hotel: The Haveli Hari Ganga (+91 1334 265207) doubles from $110 (£72) + 7% tax.