India - January 14, 2025 Millions of Hindu pilgrims gathered on Tuesday at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati rivers to take part in the first holy bath of the Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious gathering. The event opened with a grand procession of the 13 akhara (Hindu monastic orders), who made their way to the rivers on foot, on horseback and in decorated chariots. The spiritual atmosphere of the festival was accompanied by crowd control problems, with police using whistles and chants of ‘aaraam se’ (calm) to control congestion at Sangam Ghat. Authorities estimate that up to 450 million people will attend the six-week festival, with some 15 million people taking part on the first day alone. (Camera: HUGO BARCÍA) FOOTAGE OF THE FIRST HOLY BATH OF THE KUMBH MELA, THE WORLD'S LARGEST RELIGIOUS GATHERING, IN PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA. [Restrictions: Spain, Latin America, or the U.S. Hispanic market]