A lunar eclipse and the arrival of a famous holy man fed religious fervour on the second day of Hinduism's biggest festival yesterday as the crowd of pilgrims swelled to more than two million.
Ash-smeared sages and their saffron-clad apostles headed for the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers before dawn to immerse themselves in the holy water during the full eclipse of the moon, an auspicious moment of the 42-day Maha Kumbh Mela Festival.
Officials at the Mela, which takes place in the northern Indian city of Allahabad once every 12 years, said up to three million people had taken a dip on Tuesday as a vast township of riverside tents sprung to life.
The next big "bathing day" falls on January 14th when, according to Hindu astrology, the Sun enters the Capricorn constellation.