Devotees had gathered to take a pre-dawn holy dip to mark the most auspicious day of Mauni Amavasya related to a rare alignment of celestial bodies after 144 years

View of devotees at India’s Maha Kumbh Mela after casualties reported Thousands of ash smeared Hindu holy men lead millions of devotees to take a dip in the icy waters of the holy rivers Ganga Yamuna and Saraswati during the second "Shahi Snan" (royal bath) to mark Mauni Amawasya,

At least seven people were killed and dozens suffered injuries in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in India, where millions have gathered to bathe at the confluence of three sacred rivers.