About 10 million Hindus followed holy men into the cold waters of the Ganges yesterday as part of the world’s biggest religious event. About 50 000 policemen have also been deployed to keep order. 

While that may sound like a lot of people, this is just the beginning. A further 100 million pilgrims is expected to arrive in the Indian city of Allahabad for the rest of the 55-day Maha Kumbh Mela festival.

During this annual religious event, Hindu pilgrims flock to the confluence of the river Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati to bathe and “wash away their sins and achieve salvation”.

The Kumbh Mela has its origins in Hindu mythology, with many believing that when gods and demons fought over a pitcher of nectar, a few drops fell in the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar (the four places where the Kumbh festival has been held for centuries).

See more images from yesterday’s event, below:

[Source: Business Insider]