Tens of thousands of naked Hindu ascetics and millions of pilgrims took dips in freezing water at the confluence of sacred rivers in northern India on Tuesday, in the first of a series of major baths in the Maha Kumbh festival, the largest religious congregation on Earth.
The Maha Kumbh festival, held every 12 years, started Monday, with more than 15 million pilgrims bathing in the holy rivers, according to officials, and is expected to draw more than 400 million people over six weeks.
Hindus believe that bathing at the confluence will cleanse them of their sins and release them from the cycle of rebirth, a belief supported by the extensive rituals that accompany the event.
Venkatesh Ramaling, a tech specialist from Pune, expressed amazement at the devotion displayed by bathers, stating, 'People have such strong faith here, and looking at them I feel inspired.'
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