Four ash-smeared warrior priests rode their horses to the bank of the Ganges River and dipped into the icy waters early today, one of the holiest days of the great Hindu festival, the Kumbh Mela.
Millions of pilgrims waited for the ascetics to bathe before joining them in the belief that their sins would be washed away, speeding their achievement of nirvana.
By late morning, 4 million had completed the centuries-old ritual, which occurs every 12 years.
As many as 70 million are expected to dip into the river's chilly waters for a holy bath during the 43-day celebration in Allahabad.
Six days during the festival are considered particularly auspicious bathing days. Groups of holy men and warrior priests sometimes tussle over reaching the water first.
In past Kumbh Melas, clashes between two rival warrior sects led to stampedes, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
Tragedy was averted today thanks to an agreement by representatives of the two Hindu sects that the Niranjans would go in before the Junas.
Two surveillance helicopters and 100,000 policemen kept watch over the festival grounds as the pre-dawn bathing began to the roar from a traditional Hindu chant taken up by warriors before battle.
Pilgrims threw garlands at the priests and the holy men flung the garlands back at the crowds.
As the bathing progressed, priests entertained the crowds with acrobatics, sword and trident fights.
"Bliss, pure bliss. The dirt in my soul and the fatigue in my body have both been washed away," said B D Arora, a pilgrim from Jalandhar in the northern state of Punjab.
Kumbh Mela derives its name from a Hindu myth that tells how the gods and demons fought over a "kumbh," or pot, of nectar that would give them immortality. Legend has it that one of the gods ran off with the pot, spilling four drops of nectar near four blessed cities.
While the cities alternate holding Kumbh Mela, the festival in Allahabad, 360 miles east of New Delhi, is considered the most blessed because it lies near the confluence of rivers considered sacred by Hindus: the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
The festival ends on February 21st.
AP