ARDH KUMBH MELA 2007. Allahabad

Alone .....

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A pilgrim during his bath

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Having fun again.

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Having fun again outside the Sacred Ganges.

Having Fun. Prayag

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Two Nagagababas having a lot of fun.

The sadhu and the trishul. Prayag

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Faith. Prayag

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Holy Bath. Prayag. Uttar Pradesh

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Praying alone. Prayag

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Intense Nagababa

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The Nagababa and the Trishul

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Young Nagababa. Prayag

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Nagababas coming out of the Ganges. Prayag

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A Nagababa. Prayag

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Nagababas. Prayag

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Sadhus coming out of the Ganges

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Rushing out. prayag

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Waiting to Bath. Prayag

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Nagababas waiting to dip in the Ganges

Nagababa. Prayag

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Nagababas waiting to dip in the Holy Ganges.

Hare Mahadev. Prayag

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Hare Mahadev, god is great... This is what they were saying watching the sadhus go by.

Pilgrims. Prayag

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The pilgrims are following the procession of Sadhus in Prayag

Sadhus during the Main Procession. Prayag

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The sadhu and the trishul. Prayag

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Nagababas sadhus during the main procession leading them to the sacred Ganges

The Procession of the Sadhus

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Sadhus in the cold weather of the Prayag's nigth during the Ardh Khumh Mela.

Nagababa. Prayag

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Sadhus in the cold weather of the Prayag's night during the Ardh Khumh Mela.

Procession of the Sadhus

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The procession of the Nagababas sadhus the night of the main bathing date

Nagababa. Prayag

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Nagababas on their way toward the sacred Ganges to take their Holy Bath.

A Pilgrim.

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A pilgrims after her bath. 4:40 AM

Saris. Prayag. Uttar Pradesh

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Pilgrims bath all night long in Prayag, even though it's cold.
They also have to dry up saris despite the cold night

Pilgrims during the Main Bath. Prayag

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Pilgrims during the Main Bath. Prayag

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The crowd. Prayag

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Still 4:30 AM, and a lot of pilgrims are already there.
It won't stop the entire night.

Offerings. Prayag

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After having taken their holy bath, pilgrims usually give rice, grain or food to the beggers alongside the road.

Sadhu. Main Bathing Day. Prayag

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Gopal Das, a sadhu from the Nirvani Akhara during his bat, at 1:45 AM.

The rush toward the river. Prayag

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Pilgrims rushing toward th Sacred Ganges to take their Holy Bath

Holy Bath. Prayag. Ardh Kumbh Mela 2007

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Pilgrims bathing during the main bath in Prayag.
Still night, 3:13 AM but thousands of pilgrims are flocking to the Ganges

Cold nights. Prayag

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Pilgrims trying to get warm waiting for the temperature to be warmer
so they can take their Holy Bath.
About 4 AM

Sleepy pilgrims. Prayag

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Pilgrims trying to get warm waiting for the temperature to be warmer
so they can take their Holy Bath. 4 AM

Saris. Prayag. Uttar Pradesh

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Pilgrims drying up saris afgter their Holy bath while other pilgrims
are still sleeping in the cold night of Prayag

Mangal Giri. A sadhu

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Applying a shiva sign on his forehead after his bath

Afraid of getting lost during the Big Bath pilgrims hang to each other.

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Papaya. Prayag

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People afraid of getting lost use the Papaya branch as a flag during their Holy bath
alongside the Ganges.

Holy Bath. Prayag. Ardh Kumbh Mela 2007

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Gopal Das and Bawa Guru coming out of the Holy Ganges after their bath during the Ardh Khumbh Mela.
1/45 AM, still very cold outside

Sacred Bath. Prayag

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Bawa Guru on the left and Gopla Das ready to jump into the cold Ganges.

1:44 AM

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Gopal Das, Bawa Guru and Chattu en route to the sacred Ganges for their Holy Bath.

Smoking Sadhus.

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Sadhus from the Juna Akhara smoking Ganja inside their campments.

A sadhu drinking Chai.

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A nagababa drinking tea in his Akhara

Smoking Sadhu

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Inside the Juna Akhara, a Sadhu smoking ganja, a ritual often done during the day.

Selling religious stuff

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A Boy selling religious paraphernelia on a street of the Ardh Khumbh Mela

Nagababa. Prayag

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A nagababa doing some exercise in front of his akhara and next to the latrines.

Pilgrims. Prayag

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Pilgrims are still getting to Prayag from all over Northern India for the big bath

Beggars. Prayag

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A lot of Beggars are coming for the Kumbh Mela since a lot of Pilgrims are there..

Sadhus can have ice-cream too!

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Bookstore. Prayag

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A man showing me a re-written version of the Ramayana he is selling
on the pavement in a street of the Ardh Khumbh Mela.

A tired sadhu. Prayag

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People are arriving to the Ardh kumbh mela every day for the big bath.
A sadhu very tired sleeps on the side of the Mela's street.

Shops. Prayag

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Every day, more shops are coming out. This one selling religious souvenirs was set up just next to the Latrine.

Daily life in the Nirvani Akhara

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Daily life inside the Nirvani Akhara, people eating in front of their tents

Sangam

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At the meeting point of the sacred Yamuna river and the Holy Ganges, Sangam,
the place most sacred to dip into the Sacred rivers. Pilgrims have to take boats
to reach the place in the middle of the river.
As you can see, very little water this year.

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saris again. Prayag

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A woman drying up her sari after the Holy dip...

Wood. Prayag

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Pilgrims need wood to cook and to make fire at night to get warm.
You can buy it there.

Shopping. Prayag

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During the Ardh Khumbh Mela, pilgrims ahve to buy supply for themselves.
Her they buy the straw to isolate the couch in the tents. They also buy small
cooking clay oven to cook on.

Health. Prayag

2007-02-16T16:48:00.000+01:00

During the Ardh Khumbh Mela you'll find pletny of doctores giving free consultation and
medecine in the streets of the Mela.

Sangam

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On our way to reach Sangam, the meeting point of the Sacred Yamuna river
and the Holy Ganges.
The level of water was really low this year.

Getting out. Prayag

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An old man being escorted by his son after having taken his holy bath in the Sacred Ganges.

Pilgrims. Prayag

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Pilgrims in their way on boats to reach Sangam, the meeting point of the Sacred Yamuna river
and the Holy Ganges.
The level of water was really low this year.

Nagababas. Prayag

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Nagababas begging food inside the streets of the Juna Akhara

Nagababas. Prayag

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Nagababas begging food in the streets of the Juna Akhara in Prayag.

A blue eyed Nagababa

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Inside the Juna Akhara

Nagababas. Prayag

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Sitting and welcoming me inside the Juna Akhara

Nagababa. Prayag

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A Nagababa sitting in the Juna Akhara during the mela.

Brahmins. Prayag

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THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY WOMEN, I SUPPOSE IT WAS THEIR WIVES !!

Brahmins. Prayag

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En route toward the Ganges for their holy bath

Brahmins. Prayag

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A group of Brahmins en route toward the Sacred Ganges.

Sadhu. Prayag

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A Sadhu in the campment he organised around a tree. He was singing.

Barbers. Prayag

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During the Ardh Khumbh Mela, since it's a ritual to shave in the Hindu religion as a purification,
you'll see lines and lines of pilgrims getting shaved..

Gopal Das

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Everyday there is a Bandhara taking places. People can give money to make a Bandhara possible. The Sadhus will buy the necessary food and cook it for the poor or the other Sadhus. Then one has to pass next to each one of them to give 2 roupies.
In this image, Gopal Das, the Sadhu receiving me in his tent is pouring "kir", not sure about how to write it. A sweet milky semolina...very good

Bandhara. Nirvani Akhara

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Sadhus. Prayag

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Sadhus busy sewing clothing not far from the Ganges.

Akhara

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A street and the Akhara in front of the Nirvani Akhara.

Chapatis. Prayag

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Women staying in the Akhara preparing the Chapatis for the meals.

Afternoon.

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Every afternoon, a sadhu is preaching to the pilgrims staying at the Nirvani Akhara, most of them women.

Night Puja. Prayag

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A night Puja at the Nirvani Akhara in Prayag

Morning task

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A older sadhu staying in the Mahant tent, next to mine, putting his Tika on.

Cooking. Prayag

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Chattu sitting and Bawa Guru cooking the evening meal for the pilgrims.

Donation. Prayag

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People coming to give grain, rice for the poorest at the Ardh Khumbh Mela.
Every day people come to give food that the Sadhu will then cook for the pilgrims

Evening Puja. Prayag

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Holy Bath. Prayag. Ardh Khumbh Mela 2007

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A sadhu coming out of the Sacred Ganges, evening light.

cold weather. Prayag

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A boatman trying to stay warm on his boat.

Nagababas. Prayag

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Nagababas on their way to the Sacred Ganges.

Afraid of getting lost. Prayag

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During the Ardh Khumbh Mela, a lot of pilgrims are afraid of getting lost in the crowd.
So a lot do this. They hang up to the people in front of them.
Sometime you can watch little trains from the same family.

Sitaram. prayag

2007-02-13T10:43:00.000+01:00

Back to the Nirvani Akhara. A few afternoon, singers and dancers from Janakpur, Nepal, where Sita was born
came to sing the story of Sita and Ram in the Akhara. All of them are boys. Here a Pilgrims of the Nirvani Akhara
paying respect to Ram and Sita.
It was almost impossible to sleep at night since most of the Akharas around were singing Sitaram all night long.

Sita and Ram. Prayag

2007-02-13T10:42:00.000+01:00

Back to the Nirvani Akhara. A few afternoon, singers and dancers from Janakpur, Nepal, where Sita was born
came to sing the story of Sita and Ram in the Akhara. All of them are boys. Other images will follow.

Sita and Ram. Prayag

2007-02-13T10:41:00.000+01:00

Back to the Nirvani Akhara. A few afternoon, singers and dancers from Janakpur, Nepal, where Sita was born came to sing the story of Sita and Ram in the Akhara. All of them are boys. Other images will follow.

Pilgrim. Prayag

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Every day more and more pilgrims are arriving in Prayag for the big Bath schedules on January 19th

Pilgrims. Prayag

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Pilgrims watching the procession of Sadhus and Akharas.

Sadhu. Prayag

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A Sadhu, follower of Vishnu, in the Crowd.
A gentle man.

Ceremonial. Prayag

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In a Sikh Akhara some men are dancing around with swords, like a contest between them.

Ceremonial. Prayag

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In a Sikh Akhara some men are dancing around with swords, like a contest between them.

Procession. Prayag

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Trying to get on a truck to have a better view !!

Mahant. Prayag

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A mahant sitting on top of a truck during the procession.