by Nirmala Carvalho

More than 250,000 pilgrims dare the cold waters of the sacred river. The three-month-long festival is celebrated every 12 years. Seven people are killed during the first rush to the riverbanks.

Haridwar (AsiaNews) – Precede by half-naked ascetics covered in ashes, more than 250,000 pilgrims immersed themselves in the cold waters of the Ganges this morning to celebrate the start of Kumbh Mela, the most important religious event in the Hindu calendar, which takes every 12 years. In order to reach the location where the three sacred rivers meet, a mass of pilgrims literally caused a stampede towards one of the ferries that shuttles back and forth from Sagas island. Seven people (five women) were killed in the ensuing crush.

At dawn, the first snan or sacred immersion took place in the Ganges River. This is the first official stage in this year’s Kumbh Mela, set to end on 28 April. In a highly spiritual atmosphere marked by Vedic chants and the sound of shells, cymbals and temple bells, pilgrims arrived in the town of Haridwar (Uttarakhand) to dip in the cold waters at the point where the sacred river reaches the plain after flowing from the Himalaya.

Known as Sangam, this is the point of confluence where the three holy rivers of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswat meet. Throughout the year, it is home to many sadhus, Hindu holy men, who nowadays can also be seen using mobile phones and laptops computers, in an evocative image of today’s India.

According to tradition, they will bless the first pilgrims who immerse themselves in the river as part of their quest to secure a quiet life in their next incarnation.

The ceremony began when the sun appeared at the Brahma Kund, a place near the riverbank just below the temple dedicated to Shiva near the Har ki-Pauri steps. During this stage, immersions will continue all day until tomorrow when a second snan will occur to coincide with Mauni Amavasya (the new moon) and a solar eclipse.

Millions of pilgrims come for the Kumbh Mela festival, which rotates every 12 years among four different locations. The first festival in the new millennium took place between January and February 2001 in Allahabad.

In order to manage the expected 70 million pilgrims who will come for the event, which includes debates, allegorical displays and religious ceremonies, the government has set up 34 police stations and 36 temporary fire stations. Camps with tents to house 120,000 pilgrims and 40,000 officers and other staff members have been set up.

Over the past year, the authorities have upgraded the local infrastructure, investing millions of rupees in several projects, including a new car park, footbridges and especially 4.75 kilometres in safer bathing steps along the river. The latter in fact is prone to natural disasters like the landslides that occurred in Allahbad.

• india
• haridwar
• uttarakhand
• ganges
• kumbh
• mela
• hindu
• festival
• sadhus
• yamuna
• saraswat
• allahabad
• brahma
• kund
• har
• ki-pauri
• mauni
• amavasya
• ghat
• steps