Millions of Hindus take 'holy dip' a day after fatal stampede

By Saurabh Sharma and Shivam Patel

PRAYAGRAJ, India (Reuters) - Millions of devout Hindus thronged the northern Indian city of Prayagraj on Thursday for the Maha Kumbh festival, a day after dozens died in a stampede on the most auspicious day of the six-week event.

But some devotees remained nervous after the fatal crush.

Krishna Soni, a student from the western state of Rajasthan's Bikaner city, and his family of eight linked themselves together with string to ensure they would not lose each other in the massive crowd.

"We are walking very carefully and trying to avoid the crowded areas," he told Reuters.

Police said 30 people were killed on Wednesday in a crush at the world's biggest gathering of humanity and 60 were injured, but sources told Reuters the death toll was nearly 40.

Indian authorities have ordered a probe into the incident which occurred when people surged towards a river to take a dip in its waters as part of the festival.

More than 76 million people on Wednesday took what is called a "royal dip" in the river waters up until 8 p.m. (1430 GMT), and three more "royal dips" are scheduled before the festival ends.

On Thursday, more than nine million people took a "holy dip" at the confluence of three sacred rivers by 10 a.m (0430 GMT), officials said.

Devotees take 'holy dips' everyday, but on specific dates the practice is considered particularly sacred and is called a "royal" dip, attracting larger crowds.

Devout Hindus believe that taking a dip at the confluence of three sacred rivers - the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati - absolves them of sins and brings salvation from the cycle of birth and death.

The Hindu festival - held every 12 years - is expected to draw some 400 million devotees in 2025, officials estimate. The Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, in comparison, drew 1.8 million people last year.

Railway and bus stations across Prayagraj saw a surge in crowds on Thursday as people continued to arrive for the festival, but authorities said the rush was being managed and there were no incidents.

"Things are now totally under control," senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told Reuters.

Opposition leaders have blamed the stampede on mismanagement and urged the government to improve festival arrangements, while local media said on Thursday that better crowd planning was needed to prevent such incidents.

"There is much scope for improving crowd management at the Kumbh," the Hindustan Times newspaper said in an editorial.

Authorities erected a temporary city across 4,000 hectares (9,990 acres) on the river banks - the size of 7,500 football fields - with 150,000 tents to accommodate devotees and almost an equal number of toilets. More than 50,000 personnel are on guard to ensure the safety of visitors.

(This story has been corrected to change the number of injured to 60, not 90, in paragraph 5)

(Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Michael Perry)