New Delhi - At least 14 Hindu pilgrims drowned after a boat capsized in a river in India's north-western state of Rajasthan, police said Tuesday.

The ferry carrying 35 pilgrims capsized Monday evening in the Chambal River in Karauli district, about 150 kilometres south-east of the state capital, Jaipur.

"As the boat started sinking, the passengers jumped into the river," Sarwar Khan, district police chief said by telephone. "Bodies of 14 victims, including six children and a woman, were fished out."

"The remaining people either swam to safety or were rescued by divers by late Monday night," Khan said.

He said the group consisting of three families was headed to a Hindu shrine in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh.

Some children were admitted to local hospitals for treatment, police said. dpa