Pilgrims take plunge into icy Ganges

MORE than a million Hindu pilgrims have plunged into the chilly Ganges River in northern India, hoping to wash away their sins and achieve immortality at the start of a huge religious festival.

Naked sadhus or holy men, blowing conch shells and whose bodies were smeared with ash and sandalwood paste, mingled with other devotees at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers and raced into the water for the cleansing ritual.

Between 50 and 70 million people are expected to bathe in the waters during the 45-day religious festival, which takes place every six years in the city of Allahabad and is billed as one of the largest gatherings of humanity on earth.