Millions of devout Hindus thronged the northern Indian city of Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh festival, a day after dozens died in a stampede on the most auspicious day of the six-week event.

Train and bus stations saw a surge in crowds as people continued to arrive for the festival, although some devotees remained nervous after the deadly crush.

Moments before a deadly stampede at the world's biggest religious gathering in India, Hindu devotees queuing to take a spiritual bath in a river said they pleaded with police to open barricaded routes to thin out a surging crowd.