Millions take holy dip for absolution as India's Maha Kumbh Mela begins

The Star

Millions of Hindus seeking absolution of their sins immersed themselves on Monday (Jan13) in freezing waters at the confluence of India’s sacred rivers on the first day of a six-week festival that is said to be the world's largest religious gathering.   WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00Millions of Hindus seeking absolution of their sins immerse themselves on Monday in freezing

00:13waters at the confluence of India's sacred rivers on the first day of a six-week festival

00:19that is said to be the world's largest religious gathering.

00:23Held every 12 years, the Mahakumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, as the religious event

00:30in the city of Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, attracts more than 400 million

00:36visitors, both Indians and tourists.

00:39This year marks the completion of 12 Mahakumbh Mela cycles, which happens after 144 years.

00:46This time, it is also happening during a rare celestial alignment of planets and stars that

00:52occurs once in 144 years.

00:55Devotees offered prayers and took holy dips at the Sangam, the confluence of India's holy

01:01rivers, Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

01:05Hindus believe that bathing in these sacred waters absolves people of sins and that during

01:11the Kumbh Mela, it also grants salvation from the cycle of life and death.

01:22The Kumbh originates in a Hindu tradition that the god Vishnu, known as the Preserver,

01:29rested away from demons a golden pitcher that held the nectar of immortality.

01:59For more information visit www.osho.com

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