In mid January thousands of pilgrims gather to celebrate Ganga Sagar Mela, the largest festival in West Bengal. Held near Calcutta, where the Ganges River meets the Bay of Bengal, crowds gather to wash away their sins in the holy water. The people travel in groups often displaying saffron and red flags to identify the religious Akhara (group) with which they belong. The local myth is that the girls and boys that wash themselves in this place will get the most beautiful brides and grooms. The pilgrims spend the day gathered together to eat special meals to mark the event and to pray together.
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