Hindu dip ritual goes smoothly

By Zubair Ahmed
BBC correspondent in Bombay

More than 2.5 million devotees bathed in the sacred waters of western India's Godavari river on Monday, as the religious festival taking place on its shores builds up to a climax.

Crowds flock to the water's edge for an auspicious bath

Monday was the fourth of the five holiest days on which to take a purifying dip in the river.

Authorities in Nasik, the town hosting the Kumbh festival, had enforced tight restrictions on the flow of crowds, after more than 30 Hindu pilgrims were killed in a stampede on the riverbank last Wednesday.

More than 10,000 policemen and hundreds of volunteers were drafted in to ensure there was no disorder at Monday's festivities.

Four down, one to go

Hindu holy men were cautioned not to throw flowers or coins amongst the devotees - authorities say these actions were responsible for setting off last week's stampede.

And as a mark of respect towards those crushed to death on Wednesday, the holy men entered the waters on Monday without the customary drummers or dancers to accompany them.

Traffic was also banned from entering the city.

The ritual dip began soon after midnight last night and went on for 12 hours.

Huge numbers of devotees are next expected to flock to the shores of the Godavari river on 7 September - the final holy day, before this year's festival comes to an end.