Eclipse, Holy Man’s Parade Add to Hindu Fete

A lunar eclipse and the cacophonous arrival of a famous holy man fed religious fervor on the second day of Hinduism’s biggest festival on Wednesday as the crowd of pilgrims swelled into the millions.

Ash-smeared sages and their saffron-clad apostles headed for the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers before dawn to immerse themselves in the holy water during the full eclipse of the moon, an auspicious moment of the 42-day Kumbh Mela festival.

Officials at the Kumbh Mela said that as many as 3 million people had taken a dip Tuesday as a vast township of riverside tents sprung to life.

The Times of India newspaper said police had instructions to prepare for the possibility of Hollywood stars at the festival. There has been talk that pop star Madonna and actor Richard Gere could turn up, but there was no official word.

One man who did make an appearance Wednesday was holy sadhu Sri Swami Vasu Dev Anand Saraswatiji Maharaj, who may not have quite the following of Western screen icons but caused enough of a stir to snarl traffic in Allahabad.

Led by four elephants, the sadhu’s procession of at least 5,000 people, consisting of fabulously decorated disciples, brass bands and admirers, snaked for 1 1/4 miles along the road leading down to the sangam, or confluence of rivers.

A loudspeaker on one of his floats, which carried people dressed as gods, blared out a well-known line from a 1950s Hindi movie hit: “You are the Ganges and I am the Yamuna, and we are sure to meet some day.”

Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges during the Kumbh Mela cleanses them of sin.