HARDWAR : A Communal Dip
Against a backdrop of escalating terrorist attacks by Sikh militants in the area, Indian police are taking unprecedented precautions to protect at least 8 million Hindu pilgrims expected to gather on the banks of the Ganges River around this holy North Indian city Monday for Ardh Kumbh Mela, a once-every-dozen-years bathing ritual.
Police have flooded the region, erecting scores of metal detectors. Anti-sabotage teams have been combing the riverbanks for weeks and, on festival day, dozens of bomb-sniffing dogs will join the throngs.
To guard against the kind of stampede that left 46 pilgrims trampled to death during a different 1986 ritual, four new steel-truss bridges have been built over the river.
Authorities have also installed closed circuit television at the busiest of bathing spots and added 17 new police substations and a hospital.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.