Kumbh: Saints light 33,000 'diyas' wishing for early construction of Ram Temple

As part of the ongoing Kumbh Mela, a group of saints lit 33,000 'diyas' (earthen lamps) in Prayagraj wishing for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya at the earliest.

"We'll light total 11 lakh lamps in a month. We believe that the construction of Ram Temple will start immediately after the conclusion of Kumbh," a saint, Moni Maharaj said.

The Supreme Court has fixed January 29 as the next date of hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute after Justice UU Lalit recused himself from hearing the case. A new bench will now be constituted.

About two crore pilgrims took a holy dip in the sacred confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mystic Saraswati on the first day of Kumbh 2019 on Tuesday.

Seers and saints from 13 Akhadas as well as different pilgrims from all around the world also worshipped and offered prayers at the banks of the river.

The 55-day long Kumbh Mela will end on March 4. It is the largest human congregation in the world, with over 130 million pilgrims expected to participate in the festival with the belief that taking a dip in the holy water of Ganges River will pave the way for their salvation and would rid them of their sins.