- Intersection of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers Allahabad Lonely
Planet review for Sangam This is the point where the shallow,
muddy Ganges meets the clearer, deeper Yamuna. Hindu pilgrims
come all year to bathe and take a boat out to the auspicious
spot where the two rivers meet. A rowing boat should not cost
more than Rs 30 per person if you share, but boat-owners are
desperate to get foreign tourists on board at inflated prices. A
private boat for a half-hour trip is about Rs 200. The number of
pilgrims increases during the annual Magh Mela (mid-January to
mid-February). Astrologers calculate the holiest time to enter
the water and draw up a 'Holy Dip Schedule'. The most propitious
time of all happens only every 12 years when the massive Kumbh
Mela takes place. Ardh Mela (half-mela) is every six years. Both
of these attract millions of sadhus and pilgrims. In the early
1950s, 350 pilgrims were killed in a stampede to the soul-
cleansing water (an incident recreated in Vikram Seth's novel A
Suitable Boy). The