Hindus begin pilgrimage with dip to wash away sins

ALLAHABAD, India -- Ash-smeared and naked Hindu saints led millions of devotees yesterday in a predawn holy dip at the meeting of three rivers in northern India, starting a weeks-long pilgrimage to wash away their sins.

Chanting religious hymns and "Har Har Gange," or "Long Live the Ganges (River)," a multitude of men, women and children jumped into the water at 4:54 a.m., a moment chosen as auspicious by Hindu priests. Few seemed to mind the chilly winds and 42-degree low temperature.

"Initially, I felt some cold. But one dip and the cold was gone," said Ram Vir Upadhaya, a retired government official.

Nearly 70 million Hindus are expected to participate in the 45-day festival, one of the largest regular gatherings in the world.

More than 3 million had taken the dip in the first six hours, said P.N. Mishra, the state government official in charge of the festival held every six years.

Allahabad, the venue of the Ardh Kumbh Mela, or Half Grand Pitcher festival, is nearly 120 miles southeast of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state. A larger festival, the Kumbh Mela, or Pitcher Festival, occurs every 12 years.

"It's a big challenge for us to control this massive human gathering and we are ready to face the challenge," Mishra said.

Nearly 50,000 police officers fanned out to prevent stampedes and directed devotees as they gathered at the confluence of the Jamuna, Ganges, and Saraswati.

According to Hindu tradition, gods and demons fought a celestial war, spilling nectar at Allahabad in a pitcher, or Kumbh. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges during the festivals washes away their sins and ends the process of reincarnation.