Vast crowds of Hindu pilgrims in India readied on Monday to bathe in sacred waters for the Kumbh Mela festival, with organisers expecting 400 million people -- the largest gathering of humanity.

The millennia-old Kumbh Mela, a sacred show of religious piety and ritual bathing -- and a logistical challenge of staggering proportions -- is held at the site where the holy Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet.

Businesswoman Reena Rai's voice quivered with excitement as she spoke about her "religious reasons" that brought her to join the sprawling tents, packed along the river banks in the north Indian city of Prayagraj.

"As a Hindu, this is an unmissable occasion," the 38-year-old said, who travelled around 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) from Madhya Pradesh state to take part in the festival, which runs from Monday until February 26.

Saffron-robed monks and naked ash-smeared ascetics roamed the crowds offering blessings to devotees, many of whom walked for weeks to reach the........

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