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Dusk ritual at a riverside ghat in Ujjain during the Kumbh Mela, with a large yellow canopy fringed with crystal beads held over an orange pole. Saffron-clad sadhus crowd a red-cloth-covered ritual tray holding brass kalasha pots, marigold garlands and flowers at the water's edge. A bare-chested man with a saffron turban and long swept-back hair, wearing a gold-beaded necklace, stands at center in ritual posture; he is a candidate for the a person and his appearance is distinctive but partly obscured, so identity is uncertain. Behind them, a camera operator with a video camera films, and a dense crowd fills the illuminated lake with a fountain and green-lit trees in the background. Shipra river aarti scene.

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April 24 20162016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24Evening procession on a riverbank crowded with devotees beneath strings of lights and yellow and orange umbrellas. In the centre a man in an orange-saffron turban and saffron robe wears a long ornate gold necklace and a rudraksha mala, with a gold armlet, smiling and holding a bronze ritual implement. Nearby a bare-chested man wears rudraksha beads and a tilak, palms pressed together, while others in white kurtas and pink and orange shawls stand around. Silver trident-like standards and tall flags rise behind, with temple shrines and bright lamps along the water.2016-04-24Evening river ritual at a riverbank ghat by Shipra river, with a crowd lining the far shore under string lights and lamps. In the foreground a man in an orange turban and rudraksha-style garland of beads, seen from behind, holds his hands together in prayer. Several men stand at the water's edge: one bare-chested in orange dhoti with sacred thread and tilak, one in white vest and orange dhoti with hands folded, and a man in pink shirt with a camera. A brass kalasha, brass lamp and a plate of flower-garlanded offerings sit on a red cloth before them, with boats and small flags in the water.2016-04-24Evening riverside ritual at a ghat with a crowd of devotees gathered close together on the steps. In the foreground a sadhu wearing an orange-brown turban and a beaded brown-gold necklace stands beneath a yellow and orange umbrella, while a man in an orange kurta with a red and white scarf holds his hands together in prayer. Beside them a man in a white kurta and pink shawl and a bare-chested man in orange dhoti with rudraksha beads gesture in devotion, and a man in black shirt looks upward. Brass lamps and a silver staff-like ritual implement are raised, with smoke rising from the left. Behind them the illuminated river reflects lights and tents, and a camera operator is visible at the right edge. The Shipra river and temple lights create a festive, dusky atmosphere.2016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24Evening crowd at a riverside ghat during the Ujjain Kumbh Mela, lit by street lamps and pink-lit steps. A man in a saffron-orange turban and orange robe, with a long gold-and-bead necklace, stands in the foreground with palms pressed together, while a woman in an orange sari with a beaded necklace and a man in an orange robe nearby also join their hands. Two men in white kurta-style clothing with pink-red cloth draped on their shoulders and wrists in red and gold threads face them, a bare-chested man wears a rudraksha mala, and orange and red umbrellas and saffron flags line the water's edge with many devotees raising hands behind them.2016-04-24Night ritual at a riverside ghat at the Ujjain Kumbh Mela, with illuminated water and a crowd on the far bank. In the foreground a man in a dark red-and-orange turban and saffron-orange robe with a rudraksha-style mala stands at the water's edge holding offerings, appearing to perform an aarti or puja to the river. Next to him a man in an orange garment and beaded necklaces holds a brass plate near a lit flame. Behind them a man in a yellow shirt holds a mobile phone, and a cameraman with a large video camera and boom microphone films the scene. Devotees in white and orange stand close to the water, with a floral garland visible in the lower left.2016-04-24Dusk at a riverside ghat with a lit fountain and a red-and-white barrier rope in the water. In the foreground, a man in an orange turban and orange robe stands with palms pressed together. Beside him a bare-chested man in orange dhoti and rudraksha-style beads holds hands in namaste, while a younger man in a white tank top and orange cloth holds a phone. Brass vessels sit near the water and an orange ceremonial umbrella rises at left. Crowds line the far bank under coloured lights.2016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24