Haridwar hosts some of the largest, most spectacular human gatherings on the planet.
* **Kumbh Mela**: Held every 12 years, this monumental festival draws tens of millions of pilgrims who gather to bathe in the Ganges, making it one of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world. * **Ardh Kumbh Mela**: A massive midway festival held every 6 years. * **Kanwar Yatra**: An annual monsoon pilgrimage where millions of Shiva devotees (*Kanwariyas*) walk to Haridwar to collect holy water from the Ganges, carrying it back on foot to their local temples. * **Annual Festivals**: Ganga Dussehra, Kartik Purnima, and Makar Sankranti see millions of devotees flock to the ghats for elaborate rituals honoring the river.