Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a shahi snan procession at a riverside ghat in Ujjain, with a large crowd of devotees on the steps and a pink temple building with a yellow canopy behind. In the foreground a bald man in white dhoti with gold borders and red-brown rudraksha bracelets walks through shallow water, gripping a metal pole. Beside him a man in orange-red robes and a gold-and-bead necklace with a large gold pendant stands in the water, appearing to be a sannyasi of the akhada; the figure's appearance is not sufficiently distinctive to confirm identity. Several devotees in white and saffron clothing surround them, with a camera operator at left and a blurred hand at right.

More like this

Open the gallery
Shahi snan procession at a river ghat during the Ujjain Kumbh Mela, with sadhus wading into shallow water. In the centre, a sadhu in saffron-red robes and layered gold-bead necklaces stands in the water under a yellow umbrella. Nearby, bald sadhus in orange and red garments and beaded malas walk through the water, while a cameraman in white dhoti with a yellow border films the group. A man in a dark suit and purple lanyard stands at right. Behind, pink sandstone ghat steps are lined with onlookers, and a yellow sign reads a Hindi devotional phrase. No identifiable a person appearance is established.2016-04-22Outdoor sacred bathing at a riverbank ghat during a Kumbh Mela shahi snan procession. Devotees stand waist-deep in shallow water beneath bright orange and red parasols with fringed edges and a green umbrella. A bare-chested man with long dark dreadlocks and a rust-coloured shawl stands in the foreground, facing away, while people around him in saffron and orange robes, rudraksha malas and gold necklaces press close. Several women in white saris with red borders join hands in prayer. Behind them is a pink sandstone temple-like building with a domed tower and a crowd on the steps under a clear blue sky. Some are shaved-headed and others wear white dhotis.2016-04-22A photograph of a riverside ghat at a Kumbh Mela shahi snan event, with saffron-robed sadhus wading into water. In the centre, a standing sadhu in orange robes wears a large rudraksha mala and ceremonial gold necklaces. Around him, shaven-headed men in white dhotis and orange shawls, with rudraksha and gold garlands, step into the river. A man in a yellow t-shirt with a lanyard holds a blue pipe near the water, and a cameraman films at left. Behind them, a crowd fills the steps below a pink sandstone building with a red flag and banners.2016-04-22Outdoor photograph of a shahi snan ritual bathing procession at a river ghat under a clear blue sky. In the foreground, a long-haired sadhu with dreadlocks, bare-backed and wearing bangles, bends forward into shallow water while others around him steady him. Behind, several ascetics in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha and gold-bead garlands stand waist-deep in the water, holding an orange, a red and a green ceremonial umbrella over the group. A bald man in white dhoti and garland stands at left, and several devotees in white and saffron crowd the water's edge. A pink-and-orange temple building with a dome stands in the background. A camera operator is visible at the right edge.2016-04-22A photograph of a ritual bath at a river ghat in Ujjain during the Kumbh Mela. A central figure stands waist-deep in greenish water, wearing a deep red-maroon robe, a heavy gold ceremonial necklace, and a thick rudraksha mala, with arms raised and hands at the head. Around him, saddhus and devotees in saffron, maroon and white garments wear rudraksha malas and bead bracelets, and some hold ceremonial staffs. A man at left holds a silver-tipped staff. Behind them stand pink-walled temple buildings, a green canopy, and police in uniform. The figure's appearance does not clearly establish an identity, so no identification is made.2016-04-22April 22 20162016-04-22April 22 20162016-04-22April 22 20162016-04-22A crowd of men wades into shallow river water at a Kumbh Mela shahi snan, with an orange umbrella and red flags above. A central figure in saffron robes, layered rudraksha malas and a gold-coloured ceremonial pendant necklace reaches out toward others. Beside him a shaved-headed monastic in orange and a man in white dhoti with a bare upper body and bead bracelets join in. Several men in white dhotis with red sashes and rudraksha malas stand in the water, and police and volunteers in yellow shirts are visible in the crowd behind. Hands clasp in the foreground.2016-04-22Outdoor Kumbh Mela shahi snan procession on a riverbank ghat under bright sunlight. Several colourful ceremonial umbrellas, yellow, red, green and blue with fringed edges, are raised above a crowd. Sadhus with bare upper bodies, rudraksha and gold necklaces, and saffron-toned cloth stand near the water. A man in a white shirt with an orange turban faces the group. Behind them, a large crowd lines pink-painted steps and a multi-storey ghat building, with a loudspeaker mounted on a pole. Many people wear white, orange, pink and green clothing.2016-04-22Outdoor photograph of a crowd of sadhus and devotees wading into water during a ritual bathing procession. In the centre a bare-chested man with long dark hair wears a red-orange cloth draped over his body, a large gold-bead necklace, rudraksha-style beads and bangles, and holds his hands out toward the crowd. Behind him a man in an orange robe with a bald head and bright garlands stands in the water, and two large umbrellas, one yellow-orange and one red, are held over the procession. Behind them a pink-and-cream multi-storey building with domed turret stands under a clear blue sky, with a cameraman at left and green canopies visible. Many people wave their hands and raise bangles and garlands in celebration.2016-04-22A photo of a river procession wading through shallow water on a bright sunny day. In the centre, a bare-chested man with long dark hair wears a maroon-brown dhoti-style cloth and multiple gold necklaces and armlets, hands pressed together. Around him, men in white dhotis with gold borders and beaded garlands walk in the water, and others in orange-saffron cloth follow. Coloured umbrellas (pink, yellow, teal, orange) and kalasha-topped ritual staffs rise above the crowd, with a large crowd and a camera visible at right. The scene appears to be a shahi snan ritual bath procession.2016-05-09