Holly Williams is a CBS News senior foreign correspondent based in the network's CBS London bureau. Williams joined CBS News in July 2012, and has more than 25 years of experience covering major news ...

The annual traditional fair of Magh Mela at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. Hundreds of thousands of ...

Policeman takes blessing from a Naga Sadhu, or a Hindu holy man, during the first Shahi Snan at "Kumbh Mela", or the Pitcher Festival, in Haridwar HARIDWAR, India (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of ...

Though officially abolished decades ago, the caste system still profoundly influences life in India. Those born into high castes enjoy greater privileges, while low-caste individuals, like the Doms, ...

VARANASI, India — Hindu priests stand on the banks of the Ganges, performing an evening prayer to the river. They wave fire as the sun sets, ring bells and tap on drums. Thousands watch, clap and ...

Nearly half a million Hindus braved near-freezing temperatures to wash away their sins in the icy waters of the Ganges river in northern India on Wednesday, the first day of a six-week festival. As ...

Worshipped by a billion Hindus and a water source for 400 million, the government is battling to save “Mother Ganga”. A man brushes his teeth as he stands in the polluted water of Ganges river in ...

Every year, tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims wade into the Ganges River, seeking salvation from the eternal cycle of life and death. Holy men lead prayers and offer blessings, and devotees wash ...

ALLAHABAD, India (AP) -- Millions of Hindus plunged into the icy waters of the Ganges River before dawn today, hoping to wash away their sins on the first day of a religious festival that occurs once ...