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A photograph of a naked ascetic sadhu seated on a patterned mat on bare ground at the Kumbh Mela, viewed from behind. His hair is piled in a topknot and he has a long beard; his body is smeared with grey ash and he wears a thin rope around the waist and shoulders. Scattered dark coal and ash pieces, smoke rising from the ground, a metal cup and a long iron tong lie nearby. Another person's bare feet are visible at the top edge of the frame.

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A photograph of a naked ascetic performing a yoga posture, head down on a leopard-print cloth and one leg raised high in the air. A thin yellow rope is tied around his waist and hips, and the body is covered in grey ash. Around him are scattered smouldering dung cakes and small flames on the bare ground, with a metal cup and tongs nearby. No other people are visible.A photograph of a bare-chested sadhu sitting cross-legged on a rug in the open ground, reaching with a long iron rod toward a small brass cup and a metal vessel among scattered charcoal and ash-coloured embers. Smoke rises from the coals, and the man has matted hair tied in a topknot and a long beard, with a white cloth wrapped around his waist. Round soot-blackened fire patches and a folded white mat lie on the sandy ground.A photograph of a naked ascetic performing a deep forward-bending yoga posture on a woven orange-and-brown mat on bare ground at the Kumbh Mela. His forehead rests on the mat, his buttocks raised, and a thin yellow cord with knots is wrapped around his waist. Scattered blackened cow-dung cakes and smouldering ash lie on the ground around him, with a small metal cup and a pair of sticks at the lower right. Bamboo poles and a cloth tent edge appear at the left. No a person candidate is visible.A photograph of an ascetic performing a headstand, a yoga posture, on a rust-red patterned mat on dusty ground at the Kumbh Mela. His body is grey-ash coated and bare, with a rope tied around his upper thigh and hip, and his head rests on the mat with one hand touching the ground. Scattered dark charred cow-dung cakes and wisps of smoke lie around him. In the background, a crowd of standing people in white dhotis and saffron cloth, and a bamboo pole, are visible.A photograph of a naked sadhu performing a headstand on a leopard-print mat beside a smoking ring of blackened embers on bare ground. His legs are raised straight up, crossed at the ankles, and a cloth is tied around his waist with a rope. Behind him stands a yellow tarpaulin tent on bamboo poles, with a white cloth hanging from a crossbar. Nearby lie a green bag, a white cloth, a small steel cup and a metal tong. A taut rope runs horizontally across the scene.A photograph of a naked ascetic performing a deep forward-bending yoga posture, head bowed to the ground on a brown-and-orange patterned mat on sandy earth. The figure's body is ash-smeared and sun-darkened, with a thin knotted rope or cord wrapped around the waist and a white cloth near the hips. Smoldering cow-dung cakes lie on the ground around the mat, with smoke drifting across the frame.A photograph of a bearded sadhu with long matted hair tied in a topknot, seated bare-chested on a mat in smoky ground dotted with blackened ash mounds and charred logs. He wears a white dhoti and holds a small metal cup while reaching toward the ash, with a long iron rod lying beside him. Smoke drifts across the scene. No ornate a person cues such as saffron robes, crown, or rudraksha are visible, so no candidate is identified.A photograph of a nude ascetic performing an inverted yoga posture on a reddish-brown patterned mat on sandy ground scattered with dark charred clumps. The figure's body is folded upside down with head down and one leg raised high, a thin tan rope tied around the waist and hips. A small white cloth lies nearby, and wisps of smoke drift across the frame. A small purple emblem with a white bird appears at the upper left.A photograph of a bare-bodied yogi performing a headstand (sirsasana) on a leopard-print mat outdoors at a Kumbh Mela camp. His legs point straight up, held near the knees and waist by a rope tied around his body, while a white cloth is wrapped at his groin. Behind him a yellow tarpaulin tent is strung with bamboo poles and rope. Smouldering dhuni fire pits ringed with dark ash surround him, with a small brass cup, a metal tool and a folded white cloth bundle on the ground. The scene shows sadhu austerity practice. No face is visible and no a person candidate is identifiable from appearance.A photograph of a nearly naked ascetic with a body smeared in ash, bent forward in a full prostration with his forehead touching a striped woven mat on sandy ground. A yellow rope is wrapped around his waist and a white cloth covers his lower body. Scattered smoldering embers and charcoal pieces lie on the ground, and a steel tumbler and tongs rest at lower right. A bamboo pole stands at the left edge. No one is identifiable as a person from visible cues.A photograph of a nearly nude sadhu performing an inverted yoga posture, headstand with legs raised straight up, on a leopard-print mat on a dusty ground littered with dark charred cow-dung cakes and embers. A golden rope is wound around his waist and hips, and his hands grip the mat beside his head. Behind him, a crowd of pilgrims in white dhotis and saffron and orange clothing stands watching, with a wooden pole and a folded cloth at the left edge. A thin smoke rises from the ground. No identifiable a person appearance is visible.February 15 20132013-02-15