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A dense crowd of devotees and Naga sadhus at the Ujjain Kumbh Mela, with many ash-smeared, bare-chested ascetics raising tridents and staffs. A blue sign reads Shri Panchayati Nirvani Akhara, and a yellow arch beside it reads Akhil Bharatiya Sinhastha Samiti. Orange-robed sadhus and white-clad men stand behind yellow metal barriers, some holding decorated staffs with flowers and cloth. Tents, bunting and lights fill the background.

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A dense outdoor crowd at the Ujjain Kumbh Mela surrounds a silver palanquin decorated with marigold garlands and red and pink flowers, carried in procession past a yellow-and-green gate with a sign reading Jal Mandir. Several tall tridents and ceremonial staffs with red cloth rise above the crowd, and many people raise their hands in devotion. Men in saffron and white sadhu attire stand at the front, one shirtless with ash-marked body. Beside the palanquin, a white yak-tail fly whisk is visible. Blue signage reads Shri Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhara. Several people are visible in the procession, with a larger crowd behind yellow barricades.2016-05-21A dense crowd of devotees and sadhus surges around a flower-decorated palanquin at the Ujjain Kumbh Mela, 2016. The palanquin is heaped with red roses, pink flowers and orange marigold garlands, with a silver-toned base. Many people raise their hands and reach toward it, while others hold up long white yak-tail chamaras and ceremonial staffs. A sadhu nearby is smeared with white ash, and most men wear yellow or orange clothing. Behind them a signboard reads Shri Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhara and a green-and-yellow arch marks a water hut run by the Agarwal community.2016-05-21May 09th 20162016-05-09May 09 20162016-05-09 +1 copiesMay 09th 20162016-05-09A dense crowd of sadhus and devotees at a Kumbh Mela shahi snaan procession in Ujjain. Many sadhus are smeared with white ash, some with long matted dreadlocks, and one holds a trident and wears a rudraksha mala. Several raise their arms and hands, and a few carry staffs and ceremonial swords. In the foreground a sadhu in saffron clothing and a knitted saffron cap stands with a flower garland. Behind them a red-draped figure carries a decorated trident-topped standard, and a police officer in khaki uniform stands in the crowd. A blue backdrop with a painted figure in orange and red and a printed banner with a portrait are visible above, with strings of lights overhead.2016-05-21May 21 20162016-05-21Night photograph of a dense crowd of ascetic sadhus and devotees in orange and saffron robes moving through a barricaded street during a procession. Several bare-bodied sadhus with ash-smeared bodies and long matted hair carry tall decorated poles and banners draped with marigold garlands and red cloth. Uniformed police officers in khaki and dark blue caps stand among the crowd behind yellow metal barriers. Orange and pink flags and illuminated colourful decorations line the upper right side. Some sadhus wear white and red turbans and pink loincloths.2016-05-09A dense crowd of naked or near-naked ascetics, smeared with white ash, fills a road during a shahi snan procession. Many hold long wooden staffs and raise their hands. Behind them, saffron and orange flags, a red-and-gold canopied float, and a cloth banner bearing a portrait rise above the crowd, with trees and a hazy sky beyond. Several men have long matted hair and beards, some with ash-painted faces and red cloth sashes.2016-05-09Photo 11702344May 09 20162016-05-09 +1 copiesA large crowd of devotees and sadhus fills a festival road at a Kumbh Mela camp, many with palms pressed together in greeting. In the foreground, uniformed police officers in dark caps and khaki stand beside a yellow metal barrier. A central banner carried by a man in an orange shirt reads a Hindi-script sangat name over a painted portrait of a seated saint, with a second image of a saint at right. Many men wear saffron and orange robes, pink and orange turbans, and white dhotis, and one bare-chested sadhu stands in the middle with hands folded. Orange-and-white gates and tents rise in the background under a clear sky.2016-05-09