IN PICTURES: World’s biggest peaceful gathering gets underway in India

The world’s biggest peaceful gathering of people starts in India today.

Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to visit the city of Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela. This is a series of ritual baths by Hindu holy men, and other pilgrims at the confluence of three sacred rivers — the Yamuna, the Ganges and the mythical Saraswati. The mass ritual bathing is held in Prayagraj every 12 years and is believed to cleanse sins and help devotees break free from the cycle of life and death.