Mela

(“meeting”) In the widest sense, the
word mela can refer to any type of large
gathering, usually for some specific purpose. In a religious context, the word
mela is generally translated as “festival”
or fair. Melas include commercial interests, religious activity, and entertainment. Melas are usually attended by vast
numbers of religious pilgrims, traveling
to the site of the festival. By far the
largest of these melas is the Kumbha
435
Mela
Pilgrims in Allahabad gather in a
mela tent to listen to a guru.
Mela at Allahabad. In 1989, the Kumbha
Mela drew 15 million people on a single
day, and millions more during the
month of the festival.