30 million Hindus gather at Ganges and Yamuna rivers for cleansing ALLAHABAD, India, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Approximately 30 million Hindus gathered along the banks of India's Ganges and Yamuna rivers Sunday to take a dip to cleanse their sins, observers said. The gathering was the most auspicious of the six bathing days of the Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage in which people gather where the two rivers meet to cleanse their sins, the BBC reported. The Kumbh Mela spans 55 days and happens once every six years. This event also marks the rare Maha Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, which only takes place once every 144 years. The timing of these gatherings is determined by astrology. Devotees said the bathing helps bring salvation. "When I bathe I am praying to God for the good of my country and the world," pharmacy student Ashutosh Pandey told the BBC. More than 14,000 policemen, paramilitary forces and commandos were deployed to the area Sunday to ensure security to the 18 main bathing places along the rivers, the BBC reported. Fourteen nearby hospitals had treated more than 150,000 pilgrims since they began gathering in the area Saturday. Two have died. Many suffered from respiratory problems, cold, joint pains and dust allergies, Dr. Kalim Aqmal told the television broadcaster.