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| Millions bathe at Hindu festival | Millions bathe at Hindu festival |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Millions of Hindus gathered in Allahabad in northern India as the Ardh Kumbh festival, which takes place once every six years, got under way. | Millions of Hindus gathered in Allahabad in northern India as the Ardh Kumbh festival, which takes place once every six years, got under way. |
| Devotees braved chilly weather to bathe at Sangam, the confluence of three holy rivers, in a bid to wash away sins. | Devotees braved chilly weather to bathe at Sangam, the confluence of three holy rivers, in a bid to wash away sins. |
| The festival is one of the world's largest gatherings. Officials are expecting several million pilgrims on the first day alone. | The festival is one of the world's largest gatherings. Officials are expecting several million pilgrims on the first day alone. |
| A city of tents has been put up to house pilgrims and security is tight. | A city of tents has been put up to house pilgrims and security is tight. |
| Groups of holy men - some smeared with ash, some dressed in bright saffron robes and some totally naked - held colourful processions on their way to the river bank to lead the dawn dip. | Groups of holy men - some smeared with ash, some dressed in bright saffron robes and some totally naked - held colourful processions on their way to the river bank to lead the dawn dip. |
| Initially I felt some cold, but one dip and the cold was gone Ram Vir Upadhaya In pictures: Pilgrims arrive Man who reunites families | Initially I felt some cold, but one dip and the cold was gone Ram Vir Upadhaya In pictures: Pilgrims arrive Man who reunites families |
| Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children then jumped into the water as the festival began, despite cold winds and fog. | Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children then jumped into the water as the festival began, despite cold winds and fog. |
| "Initially, I felt some cold. But one dip and the cold was gone," Ram Vir Upadhaya, a retired government official, told the Associated Press news agency. | "Initially, I felt some cold. But one dip and the cold was gone," Ram Vir Upadhaya, a retired government official, told the Associated Press news agency. |
| City of tents | City of tents |
| The festival got off to a smooth start, state official Pragyan Ram Mishra said, with more than three million people bathing in the first six hours of the day. | The festival got off to a smooth start, state official Pragyan Ram Mishra said, with more than three million people bathing in the first six hours of the day. |
| Pilgrims from across India are expected to attend the gathering | Pilgrims from across India are expected to attend the gathering |
| "Controlling crowds will be our top priority as we are expecting up to 10 million people here on Wednesday itself," he told the French news agency AFP. | "Controlling crowds will be our top priority as we are expecting up to 10 million people here on Wednesday itself," he told the French news agency AFP. |
| Over the 45-day period, more than 50 million pilgrims are expected from India and overseas. | Over the 45-day period, more than 50 million pilgrims are expected from India and overseas. |
| A huge tented city capable of housing two million devotees has been erected close by, as well as 25,000 toilets to cope with the influx. | A huge tented city capable of housing two million devotees has been erected close by, as well as 25,000 toilets to cope with the influx. |
| Around 20,000 police have been deployed to control crowds, amid fears of stampedes. | Around 20,000 police have been deployed to control crowds, amid fears of stampedes. |
| "Security has been tightened around the Mela [festival] grounds and our policemen would mill around in plain clothes and some will be deployed dressed as sadhus [holy men] at strategic points," said RM Srivastava, home secretary of Uttar Pradesh state where the festival is taking place. | "Security has been tightened around the Mela [festival] grounds and our policemen would mill around in plain clothes and some will be deployed dressed as sadhus [holy men] at strategic points," said RM Srivastava, home secretary of Uttar Pradesh state where the festival is taking place. |
| Auspicious days | Auspicious days |
| Police say the number of people coming will differ from day to day, with much larger numbers bathing on particularly auspicious days. | Police say the number of people coming will differ from day to day, with much larger numbers bathing on particularly auspicious days. |
| Senior superintendent of police Rajeev Sabharwal told the BBC the largest crowd was expected on 19 January, while other big days were 14 January, 15 January and 23 January. | Senior superintendent of police Rajeev Sabharwal told the BBC the largest crowd was expected on 19 January, while other big days were 14 January, 15 January and 23 January. |
| Allahabad is about 200km (125 miles) south-east of Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh capital, and the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers converge there. | Allahabad is about 200km (125 miles) south-east of Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh capital, and the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers converge there. |
| According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a celestial war over a pitcher (called a kumbh) of divine nectar. Allahabad is one of the four towns where drops of nectar fell during the battle. | According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a celestial war over a pitcher (called a kumbh) of divine nectar. Allahabad is one of the four towns where drops of nectar fell during the battle. |
| The war lasted 12 divine days and so a full Kumbh festival is held every 12 years, broken every six years by the Ardh (half) Kumbh, the festival taking place at the moment. | The war lasted 12 divine days and so a full Kumbh festival is held every 12 years, broken every six years by the Ardh (half) Kumbh, the festival taking place at the moment. |
| Are you attending the festival? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. | |
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