The pilgrimage occurs four times every 12 years, once at each of the four locations. Each 12-year cycle includes the Maha (great) Kumbh Mela at Prayag/Allahabad, attended by millions of people, making it the largest pilgrimage on the planet.
Nashik's claim to fame as a pilgrimage centre has much to do with the Godavari river. The river, which is described as the Deccan Ganga, comes down from Trimbakeshwar and flows through Nashik.
Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi (in a maroon jacket, looking up) along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde mark the opening of the Mela.
Photograph: Sebastian D'Souza/AFP/Getty Images
