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A decorated elephant with white painted patterns on its head and trunk stands in a crowded riverside area during the Kumbh Mela. A mahout in a white shirt and striped shawl sits on its neck, with marigold garlands visible on its head. A metal bell hangs from a chain around its neck. Behind it, men and women in shawls and turbans watch, and a loudspeaker horn is mounted on a pole. A bridge and hazy tents line the background.

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January 17 20072007-01-17A decorated elephant with its trunk raised stands at the Kumbh Mela, its forehead and trunk painted with white Om symbols and floral designs. A mahout in white sits behind its head, and a crowd of men in white turbans and head cloths and a woman in a dark garment watch from below. Behind them stand bamboo scaffolding, a corrugated metal fence and a yellow tarpaulin tent.Close-up photograph of an elephant at the Allahabad Kumbh Mela, its head and upraised trunk filling the frame. White painted designs decorate its forehead and temple, including a lotus-like floral motif and curling ornamental strokes. In the foreground, several men are visible at the lower edge: one in a white turban, one with grey hair and a light shawl, and one in an orange knit cap and yellow-patterned wrap. The background is hazy with a blurred crowd and a large horn-shaped loudspeaker on a pole.February 22 20132013-02-22Outdoor scene at a Kumbh Mela-style fairground with a decorated elephant in the foreground, its grey skin painted with white ornamental designs on the forehead and ears, and a bit of orange marigold garland on its head. A mahout in a white turban and white shirt with a dark checked wrap sits on its back holding an ankus. Below, a figure in saffron-orange robes stands beside the elephant's legs. To the left, a man in a grey jacket wears an orange head wrap, and figures in white and maroon clothing stand or sit near a red and orange banner with Hindi text and a painted deity image. Tents and bamboo poles fill the background. +1 copiesA photograph of a procession at a festival ground: an elephant with a painted white design on its forehead carries two riders on a padded saddle with a cloth and cushions. The front rider wears an orange robe, an orange turban, orange-marigold garlands and holds a silver trident aloft. The rider behind wears a white turban, a blue sleeveless top and checked blue-and-white trousers and holds a red umbrella with multicoloured tassels over the pair. Below, white-clad devotees and a few women in white walk beside the elephant near a small cart with a speaker, under a clear blue sky with striped tents and flags in the background.Large grey elephant with a tusk and rope harness dominates the foreground of a dusty open ground at a crowded Kumbh Mela camp. Behind it a bare-chested sadhu with matted dreadlocks wears a yellow dhoti and a pale shawl, carrying a staff. A man in a white kurta and lavender dhoti with an orange shawl balances a striped bundle on his head. Other people in dark jackets and a handcart loaded with white bedding stand nearby, with tents and bright cloth visible in the background.A decorated elephant walks through a crowded procession under a clear blue sky. A young man in an orange robe and orange turban sits on its back, raising a long golden spear with his right arm and smiling. Behind him sits an older man in a white turban, white shirt, blue sleeveless vest and checked lungi, holding a mobile phone. The elephant's forehead and trunk are painted with white designs and it has marigold garlands. Red and multicoloured fringed parasols with a bird logo stand on the left, and men in white kurtas walk around the elephant. +1 copiesOutdoor procession on a dusty road. A decorated elephant with painted face and red-draped saddle leads, carrying a man seated on its back beneath a red canopy and holding a framed picture. Behind, a rider on a camel holds an orange flag, and a drummer in white and a person in orange and red clothing walk among a crowd of men in white, cream and orange garments. Small orange and red banners rise above the crowd, with roadside signs and utility poles in the background.2013-02-12February 12 20132013-02-12February 12 20132013-02-12February 10 20132013-02-10