HARIDWAR, India — Naked, dreadlocked holymen were among hundred of thousands of jubilant Hindu pilgrims who thronged the banks of India’s Ganges river on Thursday, ignoring any coronavirus threat, for one of the nation’s most famous and colorful 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 j…
Keep on reading: Hundreds of thousands take holy dip in India