ALLAHABAD, India (Reuters) - Nearly half a million Hindus braved near-freezing temperatures to wash away their sins in the icy waters of the Ganges river in northern India on Wednesday, the first day ...

Hundreds of millions of Hindu devotees have bathed in sacred waters, despite concerns over overcrowding and water pollution, ...

STORY: During the festival, devotees worshipped the holy river venerated by Hindus as a mother as well as a goddess, as the Ganges holds a uniquely significant place in Indian life and consciousness.

Hindu devotees gather ahead of the second sacred bathing ritual, or 'Shahi Snan', during the Kumbh Mela festival at Sangam, the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati, in Prayagraj ...

Allahabad, India - Nearly half a million Hindus braved near-freezing temperatures to wash away their sins in the icy waters of the Ganges river in northern India on Wednesday, the first day of a ...