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.

Naked Hindu ascetics and pilgrims took dips in the freezing waters at the confluence of sacred rivers in northern India on Tuesday, in the first major bathing day of the Maha Kumbh festival, which is the largest religious congregation on Earth.

As India begins the largest religious gathering in the world, the local bishop says the Church’s educational and religious facilities will be used to help millions of Hindu pilgrims.

By Saurabh Sharma PRAYAGRAJ, India (Reuters) -Naked Hindu ascetics smeared in holy ash charged into the waters of sacred rivers in India on Tuesday, part of a large crowd of 35 million devotees who took the holy dip on the second day of the Maha Kumbh Mela,

Tens of thousands of naked Hindu ascetics and millions of pilgrims took dips in freezing water at the confluence of sacred rivers in northern India on Tuesday.

Thousands charge into icy waters to perform the holy dip ritual at India's Maha Kumbh Mela festival:::: Prayagraj, India:: Namrata Aggarwal, Hindi pilgrim from Gurugram:: “It’s been a life-changing experience and once-in-a-lifetime experience.