One million Hindus take dip in Ganges
More than a million devout Hindus plunged into the sacred waters of the Ganges River today, the last bathing day of a pilgrimage aimed at cleansing believers of their sins.
Organisers of the 45-day long festival that started on January 3 said nearly 70 million pilgrims from all over the world had immersed themselves in the waters where the Jamuna and Ganges rivers are believed to merge with the mystical Sarasvati River near the northern Indian city of Allahabad.
Allahabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is 160 miles south-east of Lucknow.
Today is also Shivaratri, a day devoted to the worship of the Hindu God Shiva.
The “Ardh Kumbh Mela” or Half Grand Pitcher Festival, is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
Devout Hindus wash themselves in the waters of the Ganges, believing it absolves their sins and ends the process of reincarnation.
