Sawt Falasteen - Indian Hindu pilgrims take the plunge ahead of largest gathering

The millennia-old Kumbh Mela, a sacred show of religious piety and ritual bathing that opens Monday, is held at the site where the holy Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet.

This edition of the mega fair, in the north Indian city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh state, is believed to be the biggest ever.

Organisers expect up to 400 million pilgrims from India and beyond over six weeks, running from January 13 to February 26.

"It feels great to be in the land of the gods for the Kumbh Mela," said the 53-year-old Singh, who came from a village in Madhya Pradesh state, a journey of more than 600 kilometres (375 miles).

"I will stay as long as the gods want me to."

The riverside in Prayagraj has turned into a vast tent city.

Many pilgrims are already taking dips in the chilly water, with temperatures on the banks at midday around 20 degrees Celsius (around 70 degrees Fahrenheit).

A shivering Sunny Pratap Gaur's eyes teared up and his teeth clenched in the cold as he stood by the river after a bath in the grey waters.

But he said he was happy to have "beaten the crowds" with his early dip.

"I took leave from the office to be here," said Gaur, a mid-level government bureaucrat from the state capital Lucknow.

- 'Another world' -

Beyond the bathing area, scores of boats lined up, offering pilgrims a trip to the Sangam, the spot believed to be the confluence of the three rivers.

Hindus believe bathing there during the Kumbh helps cleanse sins and brings salvation.

The festival is rooted in Hindu mythology, a battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality.

"Hundreds of boatmen from all over the state have come with their boats to serve the pilgrims," said Ramheet Nishad, one of them.

Sprawling fields of tents -- divided into sectors, complete with restaurants, shops and makeshift toilets -- flank the river.

Wealthier pilgrims camp in luxurious tents; more humble ones huddle under tarpaulin sheets.

Saffron-robed monks and the naked ash-smeared ascetics roam the crowds, offering blessings to devotees.

They will lead the dawn charge into the river waters on the most auspicious bathing dates.

The massive congregation is also an occasion for Uttar Pradesh's local Hindu nationalist government to burnish its credentials.

Billboard after billboard lists the government's achievements -- some with QR codes linked to a specially designed website advertising the state's public schemes.

Indian police said they were "conducting relentless day-and-night patrols to ensure top-notch security" for the event.

But for some visitors, the fair transcends politics and religion –- a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"It is about the feel," said 26-year-old Rohit Singh. "The people, the river, it is another world."

H.Darwish--SF-PST