1.65 crore take dip as Maha Kumbh begins

Mahakumbh Nagar, Jan 13: The fog was thick, the cold intense and the waters freezing as the Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest gathering, began on Monday with over 1.65 crore people taking a dip in the Sangam in their quest for ‘moksha’ and the belief it will wash away their sins.
Spirituality and astrology, culture and religion, tradition and modern-day technology, it all fused into one in the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati in Prayagraj.
More than 40 crore people, many from abroad, are expected over 45 days in the mela being held after 12 years. And so it was that a sea of people converged in Prayagraj for the fabled Maha Kumbh. Ash smeared sadhus from their abode in the Himalayas, the religious from across the country and abroad and those just curious to take in the sights and sounds of the biggest religious spectacle of all, the Maha Kumbh beckoned them all.
The Sangam bank became a hotspot with crowds flocking to take selfies with the cutouts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the first bathing festival of the Maha Kumbh. A sizeable number of women and youths gathered in large numbers at Nandi Dwar on Paush Purnima Snan to click photos and selfies, displaying their craze for Modi and Adityanath. (PTI)