Kumbh Mela brings together people from very different walks of life. Among the crowds are Sadhus who have chosen a life of renunciation, as well as families and householders who continue to live with their everyday responsibilities. They may follow very different lifestyles, but both come to Kumbh Mela with a connection to faith, pilgrimage and spiritual seeking.
This meeting of Sadhus and householders is not accidental. In Hindu traditions, spiritual life has been understood through different paths, including the life of a householder and the path of renunciation. Kumbh Mela brings these paths into the same sacred space, giving ordinary pilgrims an opportunity to witness ascetic traditions while following their own way of devotion.

