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PRAYAGRAJ, India — Millions of Hindu devotees, mystics and holy men and women from all across India flocked to the northern city of Prayagraj on Monday to kickstart the Maha Kumbh festival, which is being touted as the world’s largest religious gathering. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Over about the next six weeks, Hindu pilgrims will gather at the confluence of three sacred rivers—the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati—where they will take part in elaborate rituals, hoping to begin a journey to achieve Hindu philosophy’s ultimate goal: the release from the cycle of rebirth. Here’s what to know about the festival: A religious gathering at the confluence of three sacred rivers Hindus venerate rivers, and none more so than the Ganges and the Yamuna.

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