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A crowd of ash-smeared sadhus at a Kumbh Mela procession, many with raised arms and objects. In the centre a bare-chested young boy with grey-white ash covering his body and face stands holding a wooden staff and a rudraksha mala. Around him men raise a damaru drum, marigold garlands hang from poles, and a yellow barrier runs along the bottom. Behind them a black banner reads Shri Guru Kumbh Mela in Hindi, and a few people hold up cameras or phones.

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A dense crowd of ascetics at a Kumbh Mela gathering, many with ash-smeared bodies and faces and shaved or matted hair. In the foreground a young boy stands bare-chested with wet hair and white ash marks, holding a garlanded staff with orange and yellow marigold garlands. Behind him, a tall man lifts a long staff with a trident-like top, and a man in an orange shawl stands at left. Several people wear rudraksha malas, and a yellow metal barrier runs along the bottom. Behind the crowd are corrugated metal panels with painted deity images.2016-05-21A 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 20162016-05-21A 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.2016-05-09May 09th 20162016-05-09A dense crowd of Kumbh-style sadhus during a shahi snan procession. Many naked or near-naked ascetics have their bodies and faces smeared with white ash, some with long matted hair and beards, several raising fists and arms and shouting. One bald ascetic in the centre raises his arm. A tall grey staff or trident pole rises at centre, and some men wear orange or saffron cloths. Ordinary devotees in white shirts and orange shawls press in around them, and a few hold up phones.2016-05-09A dense crowd during a Kumbh-style shahi snan procession. Many naked, ash-smeared sadhus with long matted hair wear marigold garlands and raise their arms, some carrying tridents and long staffs. Orange-robed and yellow-clad devotees, and uniformed police, fill the background, with several people holding up phones and a tablet to record. A tall trident and orange flags stand among the tents and banners.2016-05-09A dense crowd of ascetic sadhus in a street procession during a Kumbh-style shahi snan, many bare-chested or in saffron cloth, bodies smeared with white ash. In the left foreground a decorated ceremonial standard with marigold garlands and a red and gold canopy is carried on poles. A bearded sadhu in orange cloth with matted locks and a tilaka holds a rudraksha mala, while a man in pink and another sadhu with raised arm and a grey-white beard are in the crowd. Orange flags and banners line the road under hazy sunlight. No individual is clearly identifiable as a person.2016-05-09May 21 20162016-05-21Night photo of a dense crowd pressed behind yellow metal barricades at a religious gathering. In the centre, a bare-backed naked sadhu with ash-smeared white skin holds a tall pole topped with an orange cloth, his back to the camera. Around him men and boys in white, orange and red clothing press forward, some holding orange and blue flags on poles. A uniformed police officer in khaki stands in the lower left, and a car is visible at the lower right. Orange saffron cloth and a pink-lit foreground add colour.2016-05-21A dense crowd of sadhus at a riverside festival, many bare-bodied and smeared with grey ash, wearing marigold garlands and raising their arms. Some carry tall tridents and wooden staffs, and a few wear saffron/orange cloths. Police officers in dark uniforms and peaked caps stand among them, one holding a tablet, and a bright floodlight illuminates the scene. A large decorated palanquin or ratha with white and orange ornaments rises in the background.2016-05-09May 09th 20162016-05-09