Pilgrimage:- The   largest  religious  gathering  on  Earth. Around  70  million  Hindus  from  around  the  world participated in Kumbh Mela at one of the Hindu Holy city Prayaga  (India). The  largest  religious  gathering  on Earth. Around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated  in  Kumbh  Mela at one of the Hindu Holy city Prayaga (India). Many Hindus make pilgrimages to the holy shrines (known as Tirthas). Hindu  holy  shrines include the abode of Shiva, Mount Kailash in Tibet, Shiva's lingam in Amarnath, Anantnag, Rameshwaram,  and Kedarnath; the holy cities of Haridwar,  Dwarka,  Puri,  Prayaga,  Mathura,  Tirumala,  Tirupati,  Varanasi, and Ayodhya. Goddess Durga's holy shrine in Vaishno Devi attracts thousands of devotees every year. Hundreds of millions of Hindus annually visit holy rivers such as the Ganges (Ganga in Sanskrit) and temples near them, wash and bathe themselves to purify their sins, make sacrifices and  win
pivous credits. The Kumbha Mela (the Great Fair) is  a  gathering 
of  between 10 to 20 million Hindus upon th e banks of   the  holy 
rivers  at Allahabad (Prayag), as periodically ordained in different 
partsof India by Hinduism's priestly leadership. The most  famous
is at the confluence of  the Ganga and Yamuna  in  Uttar  Pradesh
which  is  known  as "Sangam". It  is  regarded   as  the  Arulmigu
Mathusoothana perumal  sevva sangam om namo  narayana,  The
presiding deity,  Lord Madhusudhana, in majesticsplendour,  with
a serene countenance and four arms, is nearly five  feet  in  height.
Lord Vishnu appears in the form of Madhusudhana with  four hands. While,  two  hands  hold the disc and conch, the other right hand is held aloft in abaya hastha position and the left rests  on the  left  thigh. He is seen with Goddesses Lakshmidevi and Bhoomadevi.

Death:- Upon the death of a Hindu person, his or  her  body  is  ceremonially  bathed  and  wrapped  in  clean, mostly white khadi cloth. The families often dress their departed relative in very simple clothes and  maintain  an emphasis on less color. At the ceremony of  cremation  all  mourners  must  wear  only  white  clothes. In  India, especially northern India, white is the color of mourning. In modern times, dull colored clothes, shirts  and  pants are deemed acceptable. An attending priest conducts the ceremony, purifying the body and  pyre  by  sprinkling holy water and continuously singing or chanting religious hymns or songs. The body  is  to be set  alight  only  by the eldest male child of the deceased, or  the  closest  male  relative. However, in  modern  society  women  are asserting  their  right  as  children  and/or  closest  relative of  the deceased to cremate their loved ones. In many cases, this is increasingly being accepted.

Hindus in India are cremated upon open grounds upon wooden pyres, though the use of  cremation chambers is increasing in popularity owing to the scarcity of wood and lack of exposure. The ashes of  the  person's remains are gathered and placed in a pot, which may be ritually immersed in any of Hinduism's holy rivers by  the  family with an attending priest. However, if one is unable to reach a Hindu holy river, it is best to find  a  river  or body of water that flows into the ocean. If Ganga water (or water from any holy river) is  available  in  sealed  copper pots, water is either poured into the mouth of the deceased, or mixed with the ashes following cremation, if  it  is not available, holy water prepared by priests is poured into the mouths of the deceased. It is  accepted  that  the ashes of the deceased will be immersed within 3 days.  If  it  is  not done within this time frame, additional rituals must be carried out. However these procedures are not  concrete, and  may  vary  from  region  to  region. The practice of cremation is not universal among Hindus. Hindus of various regions and castes may bury  their  dead as well, as per their families tradition. However, many prefer cremation in comparison to burial, even if  burial  is the common practice of the family.

Bindi and Decoration:- The area between the eyebrows (where  the
bindi  is  placed)  is  said  to  be  the  sixth  chakra,  ajna,  the  seat  of
"concealed wisdom". According to followers of  Tantrism, this  chakra
is the exit point for kundalini energy. The Bindi is said to retain  energy
and strengthen concentration. It is also said to protect against  demons
or bad luck. In addition to the  bindi a vermilion  markin the parting  of
the hair just above  the  forehead  is  worn  by  married  women  as  a
symbol of their married status. During Indian marriage ceremonies, the
groom applies sindoor onthe parting in the bride's hair. Depending  on
the dharam  of  the  religion  colours  vary. Ancient  Buddhist  women
wore similar marks (for purely decorative purposes) since  the second
century, which became popular during the Tang Dynasty.

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