Kings with Straw Mats (1986)

A pilgrimage into the heart of India's greatest sacred celebration, the Kumbh Mela which takes place every 12 years. Filmmaker and poet Ira Cohen brings us face to face with an unforgettable gathering of holy men and into the heart of a visionary experience by rendering it as it really is: a circus of high madness, true devotion and showbiz savvy. The Kumbh Mela takes its name from the Hindu legend which tells how four drops of the gods holy elixir fell to the earth from a "kumbh" or pitcher during a struggle with jealous demons fighting in the heavens. The celebration takes place where those drops fell to the earth.