Thousands throng the Ganges for Maha Shivratri

According to a report by AFP, dreadlocked holymen were among hundred of thousands of jubilant pilgrims who thronged the banks of India's Ganges river on March 11, for one of the nation's most famous and colourful religious festivals. Authorities in Haridwar expect 2.5 million people for the Maha Shivratri festival, one of three auspicious bathing days over the next month as part of a major gathering called the Kumbh Mela.

Before dawn, men, women and children jostled for space along the several miles of riverbank before a brief plunge in the fast-flowing water, singing hymns and showering flowers into the Ganges. The highlight later was set to be a jubilant procession by groups of hundreds of Naga Sadhus -- holy men with long dreadlocks, their bodies smeared in ash -- before their dip in the holy town in the Himalayan foothills.

Because of the pandemic the government has curtailed the Kumbh Mela, a mass event held regularly in different cities, and negative test certificates are compulsory. Announcements on the public address system in Haridwar blared out reminders to wear masks and maintain social distancing as hundreds of volunteers sprayed sanitiser on the pilgrims. "I have been waiting for this day for years but because of the pandemic I thought it would be cancelled. But our belief is stronger than the pandemic," said Rishab, a pilgrim.

In his first decision after taking over as the chief minister of Uttarakhand, Tirath Singh Rawat on March 10 issued orders to shower Kumbh Mela pilgrims with flowers from helicopters on the occasion of Mahashivratri on Thursday. "The visitors should be able to take a holy dip in the Ganga conveniently. The honour of seers is paramount. A grand and divine Kumbh should be ensured," he said.

According to Hindus, gods and demons fought a war over a sacred pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. Drops fell at four different locations, which now alternate as hosts for the immense Kumbh Mela gatherings. Recognised as an example of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2017, the last Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in 2019 attracted around 55 million people over 48 days.