Officials in northern India have cancelled a plan to auction media rights to the world's biggest religious festival when it is held in Uttar Pradesh next year.
The ancient Hindu festival, the Kumbh Mela, is held every three years. Although it is a religious festival, the state supports it by providing amenities, from security to sanitation.
Religious leaders earlier reacted with anger to a state government proposal to offset some costs by selling broadcast and advertising rights, saying it was offensive and impractical.
Kumbh Mela alternates between Allahabad, in Uttar Pradesh, Haridwar in Uttarakhand, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and Nasik in Maharashtra. In 2013 it is in Allahabad.
The event commemorates a mythical battle between gods and demons over a pitcher of the nectar of immortality. It will run from 27 January - 25 February.
The Kumbh Mela has been held on the banks of the Ganges for thousands of years. It is at its largest once every 12 years.
In 2001, more than 40 million people gathered on the main bathing day at Allahabad. The numbers are expected to be even higher in 2013.
