PTI, ALLAHABAD: The sacred baths began at break of dawn as the sun rose faintly over the horizon and went on through the day till the last rays set over the Sangam, the chants of “Har Har Gange” reaching a crescendo as lakhs of people took a dip to mark the beginning of the Kumbh Mela on Tuesday.
By end of day, about 1.4 crore people had taken the ritual bath in the holy waters of the Sangam here, administration officials estimated.
Makar Sankranti, which marks the beginning of the festival, is one of the sacred bathing days of the 50-day Kumbh Mela.
The confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati has called out to the religious for centuries and Tuesday was a continuation of an ancient ritual that has stood the test of time, history and modernisation.
Undeterred by the cold, a couple with their hands held tight stood waist deep in the river, a woman, her hands cupped, offered water to the rising sun, an ascetic took a dip with his eyes closed in veneration while a group of children frolicked nearby.
It was about religious fervour, spirituality, love and even fun at the ‘Shahi Snan’ (royal bath) on Makar Sakranti as devotees, ascetics and religious leaders of various orders gathered for the largest congregation in the world.
People from lands near and far braved the cold weather to take a dip in the icy waters, reaching the makeshift township of Kumbh Nagari, touted to be the world’s biggest temporary city, as early as 4 am.
