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A large crowd of sadhus in saffron and orange robes fills a dusty roadside at the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, Nasik. Many have long white beards and bare or shaved heads, some wear orange turbans and rudraksha malas, and a few carry walking sticks. Behind them stands a decorated ratha-style chariot with a red flag on a pole, parked vehicles, a blue tarpaulin and a roadside banner. A bald man in a dark sleeveless vest, with a rudraksha mala and a pink flower in his hand, stands near the centre of the group.