Tens of thousands of people have gathered to take a dip in the holy Ganges river as a deadly second Covid-19 wave continues to sweep India.
The devotees are marking an auspicious bathing day on Monday at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar city of the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
Officials say they are struggling to impose safety norms due to huge crowds.
Hindus believe bathing at the river will cleanse their sins and bring salvation.
The Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years and the venue is chosen from amongst four cities, including Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain.
Haridwar's turn to host the gathering came amid a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus infections, with India consistently reporting more than 100,000 cases daily in the past few weeks.
On Monday, India logged more than 168,000 new cases, overtaking Brazil to become the country with the second-highest number of cases globally.
