Out of darkness, into light: Hindu worshippers mark Paush Purnima festival

Hindu devotees light oil lamps to celebrate the occasion of Paush Purnima during the annual traditional fair Magh Mela at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, in Allahabad, India, yesterday.

Paush Purnima is celebrated during the Magha month of the Hindu calendar.

Worshippers believe that a holy dip on the auspicious day liberates the soul from the continuous cycle of the birth and the death.

During Magha Mahina people take an early morning bath in the Ganges or in the Yamuna throughout the month.