Millions of Hindu pilgrims head to the Ganges River as India's daily coronavirus cases continue to surge
CNN
Hindu devotees packed the streets of Haridwar, in northern India, on Monday for the largest religious pilgrimage on Earth, in scenes that defied social distancing rules just as Covid-19 infections soared in the country.
As many as 5 million visitors were expected to descend on the city Monday -- an auspicious day in the ongoing Kumbh Mela religious festival, which was delayed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the festival, devotees wash away their sins in the river's sacred waters, which are believed to turn into "amrita" -- the nectar of immortality -- on auspicious days like Monday.More Related News