Plunging into the Ganges River, this man joins millions washing away their sins.

Up to 30 million Hindus are expected to bathe in the river to mark the day they believe the universe was created.

Devotees offer sweets to the gods and observe silence before entering the chilly waters.

Sunday is also the holiest day of the Kumbh festival.

Once every 12 years, tens of millions of pilgrims stream to Allahabad for the Maha Kumbh Mela at the point where the Ganges meets two other rivers.

The more than 2,000-year-old festival is a meeting point for the Hindu holy men, some who live in forests or caves.

It has its roots in a Hindu belief that the god Vishnu wrested from demons a golden pot containing the nectar of immortality.