India to open giant Hindu festival for 400 million pilgrims

The millennia-old Kumbh Mela, a sacred show of religious piety and ritual bathing -- and a logistical challenge of staggering proportions -- is held at the site where the holy Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet. Businesswoman Reena Rai's voice quivered with excitement as she spoke about her "religious reasons" that brought her to join the sprawling tents, packed along the river banks in the north Indian city of Prayagraj. "As a Hindu, this is an unmissable occasion," the 38-year-old said...