It’s late evening in the city of Prayagraj and the roadside vendors selling snacks are packing up their wares to shut for the night.

Nearly 15 million Hindus, six times the number expected, took a dip in freezing waters seeking absolution of their sins on Monday, the first day of India's festival that could draw the world's largest single gathering of humanity.

Prayagraj is witnessing an influx of devotees from around the world on the second day of the Maha Kumbh Mela. According to the UP DGP, over 10 million devotees have already taken the holy dip. The number of pilgrims from India and abroad continues to grow as more arrive at Triveni Sangam on the third day of this 45-day festival,

Several devotees took a dip in the Triveni Sangam on Tuesday as part of the Amrit Snan of the Maha Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious congregation, in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

India's Maha Kumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, is set to be the world's largest gathering of humanity, with 400 million visitors expected at the six-week event that began this week in the northern city of Prayagraj.

Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, celebrated as the world's largest human gathering, commenced early Monday on Paush Purnima. For a holy dip, an immense wave of devotees flocked to the Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganga,

India began on Monday its Maha Kumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, which is expected to draw more than 400 million visitors to the northern city of Prayagraj over six weeks, making for the largest gathering of humanity in the world.