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       PRAYAGRAJ: 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, or Great Pitcher Festival, seeking absolution from their sins.

       The “royal bath” of the ascetics is a key part of the event, held every 12 years in the northern city of Prayagraj, previously known as Allahabad, because Hindus believe it confers salvation from the cycle of birth and death, in addition to the absolution of sins.

       Thousands of devotees watched the ascetics take a dip in freezing waters, dreadlocks flying and clad only in holy beads, though some carried tridents, spears, or maces, after a procession to the water accompanied by chants and the beat of drums.

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       “The crowd today was fantastic,” said ascetic Rakesh Kumar after his holy dip at the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati.

       “We need people to follow our faith and participate in festivals like this.”

       On Tuesday, 35m people “earned the holy benefit” of taking a dip, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, thanking authorities for their efforts to maintain law and order.

       Nearly 15m people, more than double the six million population of the city, had taken a ritual dip on Monday, when the six-week festival, expected to attract more than 400m people, began.

       Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2025