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A dense crowd of ascetics at a Kumbh Mela gathering, many with ash-smeared bodies and faces and shaved or matted hair. In the foreground a young boy stands bare-chested with wet hair and white ash marks, holding a garlanded staff with orange and yellow marigold garlands. Behind him, a tall man lifts a long staff with a trident-like top, and a man in an orange shawl stands at left. Several people wear rudraksha malas, and a yellow metal barrier runs along the bottom. Behind the crowd are corrugated metal panels with painted deity images.

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A dense crowd of Kumbh-style sadhus during a shahi snan procession. Many naked or near-naked ascetics have their bodies and faces smeared with white ash, some with long matted hair and beards, several raising fists and arms and shouting. One bald ascetic in the centre raises his arm. A tall grey staff or trident pole rises at centre, and some men wear orange or saffron cloths. Ordinary devotees in white shirts and orange shawls press in around them, and a few hold up phones.2016-05-09A dense crowd of sadhus and devotees at a river bathing ghat during a Kumbh-style shahi snan. Many sadhus have their bodies and faces smeared with white ash, some with long matted hair and grey beards; one shaved-headed sadhu in the centre raises a hand and wears an orange cloth and a white armband. Others in orange and saffron cloths, a man in a blue striped shirt, and a bearded man in white stand among them, with a yellow barrier in the foreground. A water bottle is held up at the upper right. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person, and the visible people are mostly unnamed sadhus and devotees.2016-05-09May 09th 20162016-05-09May 09th 20162016-05-09May 21 20162016-05-21May 09th 20162016-05-09A crowd of ascetics at a shahi snan procession, many bare-chested with ash smeared on their faces and bodies. In the foreground a smiling bearded man with long matted hair, orange tilak and a yellow marigold garland raises his arm, and a man beside him wears rudraksha beads and a pendant. Behind them, men in saffron and orange cloth, some with white shawls and yellow garlands, raise their hands and wooden staffs amid onlookers in colourful clothes.2016-05-09May 21 20162016-05-21A large crowd of naked sadhus with ash-smeared bodies and faces marches shoulder to shoulder at a Kumbh-style shahi snan procession. Many wear marigold garlands in yellow and orange, some have long grey or white matted hair and beards, and several raise their arms. In the foreground a bearded sadhu with closed eyes and a grey-streaked beard stands among the group, while an older man with a long white beard and forehead tilaks is at right. At left, a person in black holds an orange lanyard and a hand is extended toward the crowd. Spectators and volunteers stand in the background.2016-05-09A dense night procession of ascetic sadhus crowds a riverside route. Many are bare-chested and covered in grey-white ash, wearing marigold garlands around their heads and necks. Several raise their arms, and some hold long staffs and a trident. A camera operator with a lit lamp films from the right, and uniformed police stand at the edge of the crowd. Behind them, large marigold-decorated structures and orange flags are visible.2016-05-09May 09th 20162016-05-09May 21 20162016-05-21