Source: The Tribune, November 1, 2000
PATNA, INDIA: The four day festival of Chatth kicks off Wednesday in Bihar State, India. Millions of Hindus are expected to congregate along different rivers and lakes in the state for the do-it-yourself offerings which require no priests. Similar religious festivals involving millions of Hindus–a scale never seen in the West–will occur all over India through the fall, culminating in the once-in-twelve-year Kumbha Mela at Allahabad in January to March. The Mela will be the largest gathering of human beings in one place in history, likely numbering more than 45 million Hindus.