The man appears in a silhouette after rising from the river. His dreadlocked hair is flicked backwards, sending a stream of water in a clockwise swirl.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the panic at the festival where devotees from across India had congregated to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took holy dips in sacred river waters in the northern city of Prayagraj on Wednesday as he joined millions of people at the Maha Kumbh Mela, a week after dozens died in a stampede at the event.

PM Narendra Modi took a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam at Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. The Indian Prime Minister, dressed in a saffron-coloured top and counting prayer beads in his hands, waded out thigh-deep to the meeting point of the Ganges,

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a holy dip at Sangam on Wednesday after he arrived in Prayagraj as part of his visit to the Maha Kumbh. After arriving at Prayagraj, PM Modi, who was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath,