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A dense outdoor procession at a Kumbh Mela-style event, viewed from above. A large gilded palanquin or ratha carrying an ornate golden canopy and a seated figure is pulled through a packed crowd. Numerous devotees wear white and orange clothing, and many are bare-chested with ash-smeared bodies. Red and orange triangular flags on tall poles rise through the crowd, and two large green and gold embroidered umbrellas shade the procession. Police in khaki and hi-vis vests line a yellow metal barricade. Makeshift tents and banners with colourful signage stand along the roadside, and a few tall trees are visible at the top.

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A dense outdoor procession at a Kumbh Mela-style festival, with a large crowd pressed against yellow metal barriers. On the left, many naked or near-naked ascetics with ash-smeared bodies and long hair crowd forward, one man in white undergarments leaping over the barrier. On the right, a golden ornate ratha/palanquin carries a seated figure in orange and gold garments garlanded with flowers, beneath a gold canopy with a kalasha finial. Around it, people in white dhotis and orange clothing walk alongside, and uniformed police in khaki and high-visibility vests line the route. Red and orange flags, a green-and-gold umbrella, and banners fill the scene, with tents and trees behind.2016-05-21May 21 20162016-05-21A dense crowd fills a city street during a procession. At the centre, a gold-decorated ratha/palanquin carries a seated figure in an orange robe beneath an ornate golden canopy garlanded with flowers; attendants in white stand around it and a figure in orange and white stands beside. Red and orange flags fly and large green umbrellas shade the procession. Many people along the barricades wear grey ash or are smeared with it, and banners and tents line the road under flowering trees.2016-05-21May 21 20162016-05-21A dense procession crowd moves along a barricaded street in an Indian city, lined with orange and red saffron flags. At centre, a gilded golden palanquin or ratha carries a decorated deity murti garlanded with flowers, with a golden canopy above and offerings in front. A man in an orange-saffron garment stands near the palanquin and a man in white dhoti and shirt guides the moving platform. Many devotees in white, some in saffron, press against the barriers, while police in khaki and yellow-vested volunteers manage the route. Several sadhus at left are covered in grey ash, and green and gold umbrellas shade the lower foreground. Red and yellow flags and small banners fill the scene. The procession is a ratha/palanquin procession with dense devotee participation.2016-05-21May 21 20162016-05-21Photo of a dense crowd at a Kumbh Mela procession. A raised golden palanquin-style platform, decorated with flower garlands and a gilded canopy, carries a seated figure in red and gold robes wearing a red headdress. Beside the platform, an attendant in orange cloth stands. Crowds of mostly white-clad devotees and many ash-smeared sadhus with bare upper bodies press behind golden metal barricades. Red and orange flags rise above the throng, and a green patterned umbrella is held in the foreground. Uniformed police officers and volunteers in yellow vests keep order. Vendor stalls and banners line the street.2016-05-21May 21 20162016-05-21May 21 20162016-05-21May 21 20162016-05-21A large street procession moves between yellow metal barricades through a crowd of devotees. At the centre, a golden ornate canopy ratha is decorated with flowers and draped with cloth; a seated figure in orange sits on a red and gold seat, with a garlanded figure beside. Men in white dhotis and bare torsos walk along, many wearing rudraksha-style neck beads, while women in white and pastel saris follow. Red flags and a large green umbrella are carried alongside. Spectators line a white wall above, with banners and posters visible on the wall and along the street.2016-05-21May 21 20162016-05-21