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A dense outdoor procession moves through a large crowd under a hazy sky at the Allahabad Kumbh Mela. Several ornate colourful umbrellas with fringed tassels in red, orange, green and blue are raised above the group. Participants in white kurtas and saffron or orange shawls walk with their hands raised, some holding tall golden staffs topped with ornaments. A man in an orange turban and saffron wrap stands near the centre, and a man with long hair and a rudraksha mala appears in the foreground. A tripod-mounted camera stands among the procession. Devotees and onlookers fill the background, many wearing white and orange garments with rudraksha malas and forehead marks.

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January 19 20072007-01-19Outdoor procession in a dense crowd at the Kumbh Mela. A central figure in saffron-orange robes, an orange turban, a long rudraksha mala and a large ornate gold necklace walks smiling between devotees. Several men in white kurtas and white shawls raise long ornate poles topped with white yak-hair fly whisks and gold finials, and overhead are colourful embroidered canopy umbrellas with tassels in red, blue, green and yellow. Bystanders press close, and tents and banners line the background under hazy sky.A procession on a dusty path at the Allahabad Kumbh Mela. Many people in white clothes walk in a line, several holding tall poles topped with large ornate umbrellas in red, green, blue and multicoloured patterns with tasselled fringes, and one carries a round gold sun-disc standard. A central figure in saffron-orange robes, wearing a saffron turban and a gold-beaded necklace, walks among them and holds a whisk. Behind him a long orange flag streams in the wind. Several participants wear white lanyard badges, and a woman in the foreground wears a red-beaded mala. Wooden fencing and utility poles line the route under a pale sky with a crowd visible in the distance.January 12 20092009-01-12Outdoor photograph of a large procession moving along a dusty road at Allahabad Kumbh Mela, with a crowd of many people in the background. In the foreground, devotees in white clothes and rudraksha malas carry tall ornate parasols (chhatris) with red, yellow and green embroidered panels and kalasha-style finials. A man in white with a long white shawl and a woman in white with rudraksha beads walk near the front. A woman in white and a man in a dark jacket with a red sweater are visible in the crowd. Behind them stand a painted gateway and utility poles under a hazy sky.A festival procession at the Allahabad Kumbh Mela moves along a concrete road under a flyover. Multicoloured fringed parasols with bird emblems and the word Peetam overhead lead the group. A man with long dark hair, a red tilak and rudraksha malas wears saffron robes and a saffron shawl, carrying a trident-topped staff. Around him, devotees in saffron and orange shawls and white kurtas walk, one woman in white on the left holds a feathered fan-like whisk. A red and gold ceremonial shield with a bird emblem is carried on the right. Several people are visible, including a smiling woman and men in orange headwear.January 01 20092009-01-01January 12 20072007-01-12A procession on a dusty road at the Allahabad Kumbh Mela. Several men in white kurtas and white dhotis walk with ceremonial regalia. In front, a man in a white kurta with a red and gold shawl, grey hair and a rudraksha-style mala holds a raised silver trident-like staff. Behind him, a bearded man in white holds a long wooden pole topped with a gold disc, and another man in white holds a gold ceremonial staff topped with a round gold ornament. Large ornate parasols with multicoloured embroidered fabric and golden finials are carried overhead, and devotees in orange scarves walk alongside. A flyover and tents line the background.February 02 20072007-02-02A festival procession on an open road at a Kumbh Mela gathering, under a bright sky. Several large umbrellas with red, orange and green panels and fringed edges, one bearing the printed word Nithyanandapeetham, are held aloft by men in white. Gold ceremonial fans with long white fur-like plumes and a gold trident-shaped staff are carried alongside. At the centre, a man in an orange turban, orange robe and long gold-beaded necklace stands among the crowd and smiles; he has a distinctive long hairstyle and an ornate garland. Around him, devotees in white clothes, a woman in white with a red-brown braid, and onlookers in red and grey shirts press close, several with raised hands. A yellow flag and orange flag are visible at the edges.December 27 20082008-12-27