Hindus plunged into the waters of the holy Ganges River Monday, marking the beginning of the world's largest religious festival. The Kumbh Mela festival is held every 12 years and will see up to 100 million people gather over the next 55 days to take a ritual bath in the Ganges..
Millions of Hindus Flock to the Ganges
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An elderly Hindu woman takes a holy dip at Gangasagar, India, January 14, 2013.
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Hindu devotees arrive in the northern city of Allahabad to attend the first grand bath of the Kumbh Mela, India, January 14, 2013.
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An Indian Hindu man jumps up and down in the water as he takes a dip at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Kumbh Mela festival in Allahabad, India, January 14, 2013.
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Hindu holymen prepare to take a holy dip during first grand bath of the Kumbh Mela, in the northern Indian city of Allahabad, January 14, 2013.