More than 500 million take 'holy dip' in India's Maha Kumbh festival

FILE PHOTO: Devotees gather to take a dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers with the mythical invisible Saraswati river, to mark Maghi Purnima, one of the auspicious days during the "Maha Kumbh Mela", or the Great Pitcher Festival, in Prayagraj, India, February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ritesh Shukla/File Photo

LUCKNOW (Reuters) - More than 500 million people have taken a "holy dip" in sacred river waters in north India over the last four weeks as part of the Hindu Maha Kumbh festival, authorities said on Friday, greater than the population of most countries.

Attendees at the six-week long event have ranged from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and federal ministers to industrialists such as Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and artists including Chris Martin from British rock band Coldplay.