Millions of Indians take dip in Ganges

Millions of devout Hindus plunged into the frigid waters of the Ganges River in India to absolve themselves of sin.

Organisers said up to 10 million people were likely to take the dip in the sacred waters, where the Jamuna and Ganges rivers merge with the Sarasvati River near the northern Indian city of Allahabad.

Hundreds of naked, ash-smeared Indian holy men, or sadhus, led a vast multitude of people into the Ganges River at 5.10am local time (11.40pm Irish time), a time determined by astrologers as the most auspicious to bathe.

“More than five million devotees have already taken a dip in the first five hours and more people are pouring in,” said festival organiser PN Mishra.

“Anything between eight and 10 million people are expected to take a dip during the day,” he added.

Today is the third and last day of the Shahi Snan or Royal Bathing Days in the 45-day festival that ends on February 16. The fact that it was the first day of the spring season added another layer of significance for the Hindu devotees.

Nearly 70 million Hindus are expected to participate in the “Ardh Kumbh Mela” or Half Grand Pitcher Festival, one of the largest regular gatherings in the world. They wash themselves in the waters of the Ganges, believing it rids them of their sins and ends the process of reincarnation.

Most of the pilgrims are expected to come from across India, but the event also draws some foreign Hindus and curious tourists.

According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a celestial war over the nectar of immortality, spilling some of it at Allahabad from a pitcher, or Kumbh.

A larger festival, the “Maha Kumbh Mela”, or the Grand Pitcher Festival, takes place every 12 years.