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A 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.

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May 09th 20162016-05-09A large crowd of ash-smeared sadhus, many bare-chested and wearing only loincloths, walks through a dusty road in warm morning light during a procession. Several carry long tridents and staffs decorated with marigold garlands and orange flags. A man in the centre wears an orange-saffron cloth draped over his shoulder, a rudraksha-style mala and a long beard. Bearded elders with matted grey hair raise their hands, and onlookers in the background watch from roadside tents. Banners with portraits hang at the left and right edges.2016-05-09May 09th 20162016-05-09A 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 09th 20162016-05-09May 09th 20162016-05-09A crowd of ash-smeared naked sadhus stands on a dusty road during a procession, with many men in orange loincloths and rudraksha malas. In the foreground, a man with long curly hair raises his arms toward the bright sunlit sky, while a bearded sadhu in the centre stands facing forward. Behind them, orange and red flags and a decorated pole rise above the crowd, and trees line the road under hazy morning light.2016-05-09May 09th 20162016-05-09Dense crowd of sadhus during a Kumbh-style shahi snan procession. Foreground, a bare-bodied ash-smeared sadhu with matted locks and a yellow marigold garland walks at centre. Behind him, a figure carried on a decorated trident-topped palanquin raises a fist, with a trident and drum visible. Many saffron-robed men, some in red and orange, press through the throng under hazy morning light. Pennants in orange and banners with painted deity imagery line the route; a few uniformed police appear at right.2016-05-09A 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 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.2016-05-09