The first Amrit Snan of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Makar Sankranti drew over 3.5 crore devotees, including Naga Sadhus leading ceremonial process

By Saurabh Sharma PRAYAGRAJ, India (Reuters) -Naked Hindu ascetics smeared in holy ash charged into the waters of sacred rivers in India on Tuesday, part of a large crowd of 35 million devotees who took the holy dip on the second day of the Maha Kumbh Mela,

Vast crowds of Hindu pilgrims in India bathed in sacred waters as the Kumbh Mela festival opened on Monday, with organisers expecting 400 million people -- the world's largest gathering of humanity -- to assemble over six weeks.India is the world's most populous nation, with 1.4 billion people, and so is used to large crowds.

Hindu devotees gather for a dip at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers on the first day of the 45-day-long Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, India, Monday, Jan.

India's Maha Kumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, is set to be the world's largest gathering of humanity, with 400 million visitors expected at the six-week event that began this week in the northern city of Prayagraj.

The Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj has kicked off with unprecedented security measures as 45 crore devotees are expected to take a holy dip. A seven-ring security system, AI-powered surveillance, underwater drones,

Scores of naked Hindu ascetics smeared in holy ash charged into the water of holy rivers in northern India on Tuesday, dreadlocks flying, during the first 'royal bath' of the Maha Kumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival.

Several devotees took a dip in the Triveni Sangam on Tuesday as part of the Amrit Snan of the Maha Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious congregation, in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.