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  • A pilgrim feeds a sacred cow in the street left over chapattis. Every 12 years, millions of devout Hindus celebrate the month-long festival of Kumbh Mela by bathing in the holy waters of the Ganges at Hardiwar, India. Hundreds of ashrams set up dusty, sprawling camps that stretch for miles. Under the watchful eye of police and lifeguards, the faithful throng to bathe in the river.
    IND_091_xs.jpg
  • A woman in front of the sacred Jain site of Sravanbelgola, 93km north of Mysore, consists of two hills and a large Tank. On one of the hills, Indragiri (also known as Vindhyagiri), stands an extraordinary eighteen meter high monolithic statue of a naked  male figure, Gomateshvara, which is the largest freestanding sculpture in India. The name of the other hill is Chandragiri, marking the arrival of Jainism in southern India..
    IND_060_xs.jpg
  • Retablo de las Reliquias in the Cathedral Museum, Santo Domingo, Spain.
    SPA_258_xs.jpg
  • Retablo de las Reliquias in the Cathedral Museum, Santo Domingo, Spain.
    SPA_257_xs.jpg
  • Religious statue, Santa María de Eunate, Province of Navarra. The Church of Saint Mary of Eunate is located in the center of the Ilzarbe Valley on the pilgrims' road to Santiago de Compostela. It was built in the 12th century at the same time the pilgrims trail was expanding at a rapid pace. It is purported to be one of the three funerary chapels that marked the road to Santiago de Compostela. The building was restored in the early 1900's. Navarra, Spain.
    SPA_256_xs.jpg
  • Small shrine to the Virgin in the Plaza del Santo, adjacent to the Parador. Santo Domingo, Spain.
    SPA_259_xs.jpg
  • Retablo de las Reliquias in the  Cathedral Museum, Santo Domingo, Spain.
    SPA_006_xs.jpg
  • The clay Kumbha (water pot) has a special significance in the Hindu cremation ritual. It is blessed in the early stages of the ritual and then, most often during the series of rituals designed to ensure the proper path in death for a loved one, the Kumbha is carried by a mourner three times around the burning body then dropped (and it breaks).
    IND_040417_213_x.jpg
  • An elderly man lives on the street near the Manikarnika Ghat, in Varanasi, India.
    IND_040412_317_x.jpg
  • Colorful and popular Dasasvamedha Ghat gets a lot of attention from religious pilgrims, locals, and tourists alike and is one of the busiest bathing ghats in the city of Varanasi.
    IND_040412_390_x.jpg
  • Colorful and popular Dasasvamedha Ghat gets a lot of attention from religious pilgrims, locals, and tourists alike and is one of the busiest bathing ghats in the city of Varanasi.
    IND_040410_357_x.jpg
  • Colorful and popular Dasasvamedha Ghat gets a lot of attention from religious pilgrims, locals, and tourists alike and is one of the busiest bathing ghats in the city of Varanasi.
    IND_040412_382_x.jpg
  • Early morning bathing and exercise overlooking the river Ganga. Near the Dashashwamedh ghat. Colorful and popular Dasasvamedha Ghat gets a lot of attention from religious pilgrims, locals, and tourists alike and is one of the busiest bathing ghats in the city of Varanasi.
    IND_040410_354_x.jpg
  • Evening tourist show on the Ganges, Varanasi, India. Brilliant spectacles of light from handheld towers of candles, held by priests and other Hindis during religious rites (pujas). Colorful and popular Dasasvamedha Ghat gets a lot of attention from religious pilgrims, locals, and tourists alike and is one of the busiest bathing ghats in the city of Varanasi. There is a nightly ceremony of lights performed mostly for tourists.
    IND_040412_342_x.jpg
  • "Costaleros" carrying an ornate float through the streets of Salamanca during Semana Santa (Holy Week) in the rain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070407_564_rwx.jpg
  • "Costaleros" carrying an ornate float through the streets of Salamanca during Semana Santa (Holy Week) in the rain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070407_545_rwx.jpg
  • Unmasked "Nazareños" in a Salamanca, Spain, church getting ready for the procession which has been delayed by rain during Semana Santa (Holy Week). Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070407_443_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070407_347_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_763_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_715_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_288_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_255_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_164_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week), Salamanca, Spain.  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_026_rwx.jpg
  • A young hooded penitent in a procession during Holy week in Salamanca, Spain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070405_129_rwx.jpg
  • Hooded penitents in a procession during Holy week in Madrid, Spain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070405_071_rwx.jpg
  • Cathedral interior with ornate altar, Quito, Ecuador.
    ECU_050723_125_rwx.jpg
  • The colorful and popular Dasasvamedha Ghat  in the city of Varanasi, India, gets a lot of attention from religious pilgrims, locals, and tourists alike and is one of the busiest bathing ghats in Varanasi. A ghat is a stairway in India leading down to a landing on the water.
    IND_040412_390_xw.jpg
  • "Costaleros" carrying an ornate float through the streets of Salamanca during Semana Santa (Holy Week) in the rain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070407_550_rwx.jpg
  • "Costaleros" carrying an ornate float through the streets of Salamanca during Semana Santa (Holy Week) in the rain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070407_536_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers
    SPA_070407_371_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_751_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_360_rwx.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_289_rwx.jpg
  • A hooded penitent in a procession during Holy week in Salamanca, Spain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_119_rwx.jpg
  • Young altar boys accompanying hooded penitents in a procession during Holy week in Salamanca, Spain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_067_rwx.jpg
  • A hooded penitent in a procession during Holy week in Madrid, Spain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070405_353_rwx.jpg
  • A hooded penitent in a procession during Holy week in Madrid, Spain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070405_315_rwx.jpg
  • A hooded penitent in a procession during Holy week in Madrid, Spain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070405_070_rwx.jpg
  • Altar inside the main chapel of the Soledad Mission, Soledad, California, USA.
    USA_MISS_06_xs.jpg
  • An Indian family visiting the temple at Halebid, South India. The ancient capital of the Hoysalas, Halebid was then known as Dwarasamudram. The great city of Dwarasamudra flourished as a Capital of the Hoysala Empire during the 12th & 13th centuries.
    IND_059_xs.jpg
  • Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070406_310_rwx.jpg
  • Hooded penitents in a procession during Holy week in Madrid, Spain. Street processions are organized in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. People carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning can seem quite oppressive to onlookers.
    SPA_070405_306_rwx.jpg
  • Pilgrims take their turn to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. (From the book What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.) The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Hindus believe that the rivers in the Indian cities of Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain are sacred, and that bathing in those rivers during the religious festival Kumbh Mela will release them from past sins and mistakes and liberate them from the cycle of birth and death. Auspicious bathing days are determined by the position of the sun and the moon, and on these days more than a million pilgrims might descend for a dip. In Ujjain, thousands of police control the crowds at the Shipra River with whistles, poles, and batons to prevent stampedes and drownings, and bathing time is kept to 12 minutes per group. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors. The festival attracts more pilgrims than any other religious gathering on the planet, including Islam's Hajj.
    IND_040419_005_xw.jpg
  • IND_040417_239_x<br />
Peter Menzel photographing at Manikarnika Ghat on the Ganges River in Varanasi India. The Bodies arrive day and night from far and near to be cremated at Jalasi Ghat, the cremation grounds at Manikarnika Ghat. One hundred or more times a day male family members carry a loved one’s body through the narrow streets on a bamboo litter to the Ganges River shore—a place of pilgrimage for Hindus during life, and at death. Not every Hindu can be cremated here, because of transportation costs and logistical considerations. Sometimes a body is burned in one location and the ashes brought to Varanasi. There are other rivers in India, such as the Shipra which flows through the sacred city of Ujjain, that are considered sacred as well, but none holds the importance of the Ganges. Sometimes a small dummy representing the person will be burned at Jalasi.<br />
Only male family members are present and tend to the bodies at the cremation site as no show of emotion is allowed and also, they don’t want any of them jumping onto the fire, says one manager at the ghat. The body is carried to the water’s edge for a last dip, and then the main mourner prepares for his role in the ritual burning.<br />
The main mourner—usually the eldest son or closest male family member’s hair and facial hair is shorn, and his nails are cut. He wears a simple dhoti (traditional Indian male’s wraparound clothing). The chief mourner follows a prescribed ritual, which involves circling the body and showering it with ghee (clarified butter) and incense—like sandalwood—again often purchased from one of the local funereal accessories vendors. It takes about three hours for an average sized body to burn completely. If a family is poor and doesn’t have enough money to buy the right amount of wood to burn the body, then wood left over from other fires might be used. It takes about 350 kilos of wood to burn a body completely.<br />
Afterward, the workers dump ashes from the burned pyres and douse
    IND_040417_239_x.jpg
  • Hindu holy men prepare tea at the Kumbh Mela festival in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. During the festival hundreds of ashrams set up free cafeterias and dusty, sprawling camps that stretch for miles. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims file past the different groups on the way to and from the river and their own dusty camps. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.).
    IND_040423_014_x.jpg
  • Hardiwar, India; Ganges, Kumbh Mela Festival. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.
    IND_100_xs.jpg
  • Kumbh Mela Festival, Hardiwar, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.
    IND_077_xs.jpg
  • Sweet, fried boondi, a spiced chickpea flour confection, is prepared for pilgrims in a camp at an ashram during the Kumbh Mela festival in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. (From the book What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.) Every camp has its own large/small kitchen where food is prepared for people residing in that particular camp as well as outsiders who would walk in and out for lunch/dinner. Boondi can be a savory preparation or even sweet. A thin consistency dough is prepared using gram flour, water and spices. This boondi can be made sweet by putting in sugar syrup (prepared separately) and soaked in the syrup. Cardamom, dry fruits may be added in the syrup for flavor. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_017_xx_xw.jpg
  • A painted pachyderm pauses for a snack of discarded cauliflower leaves and receives blessings from an admirer during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. Elephants, like cows and other animals, are shown respect throughout India, and Hindu deities are often represented in their form. (From the book What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.) The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_011_xxw.jpg
  • Hundreds of Nagas (naked ascetic holy men) stand on the riverbank of the Shipra River in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India just moments before plunging in for a ritual bath to mark the Kumbh Mela festival. (From the book What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.)  The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_008_xxw.jpg
  • A pilgrim at the Kumbh Mela festival in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040420_002_xw.jpg
  • Early morning swim of nagas on the banks of the Shipra River on an auspicious day for bathing during Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, India. After a dip in the river they rub ashes on their naked bodies...Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_016_x.jpg
  • Bathing in the Shipra River during Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_013_x.jpg
  • Nagas (Hindu ascetics who are followers of Sadhus) congregate to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_011_x.jpg
  • Nagas (Hindu ascetics who are followers of Sadhus) congregate to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_008_x.jpg
  • Nagas (Hindu ascetics who are followers of Sadhus) congregate to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors..
    IND_040422_007_x.jpg
  • A Sadhu (Hindu ascetics) with his naga followers on a float during a parade during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_004_x.jpg
  • Pre-dawn swim of nagas on the banks of the Shipra River on an auspicious day for bathing during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_002_x.jpg
  • The crowded Ujjain train station during Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.
    IND_040421_001_x.jpg
  • Pilgrims performing ceremonies on the banks of the Shipra River while bating during Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040419_006_x.jpg
  • Pilgrims performing ceremonies on the banks of the Shipra River while bating during Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040419_003_x.jpg
  • Pilgrims resting near the Shipra River during Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.).
    IND_040418_004_x.jpg
  • Kumbh Mela Festival, Hardiwar, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.
    IND_078_xs.jpg
  • Sadhus (Hindu ascetics) congregate to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. (From the book What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.) The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_012_xxw.jpg
  • A Sadhu (Hindu ascetic) at the Kumbh Mela festival in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_008_xw.jpg
  • Nagas (Hindu ascetics who are followers of Sadhus) congregate to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors..
    IND_040422_153_xw.jpg
  • Nagas take an early morning swim on the banks of the Shipra River on an auspicious day for bathing during Kumbh Mela festival in Ujjain, India. After a dip in the river, they rub ashes on their naked bodies. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_017_xw.jpg
  • Watching a parade from a hotel by the Shipra River during Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_020_x.jpg
  • Early morning swim of nagas on the banks of the Shipra River on an auspicious day for bathing during Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, India. After a dip in the river they rub ashes on their naked bodies...The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_019_x.jpg
  • Early morning swim of nagas on the banks of the Shipra River on an auspicious day for bathing during Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, India. After a dip in the river they rub ashes on their naked bodies. Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_017_x.jpg
  • Lines of nagas head for an early morning swim in the Shipra River on an auspicious day for bathing during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_014_x.jpg
  • Sadhus (Hindu ascetics) congregate to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_012_x.jpg
  • Nagas (Hindu ascetics who are followers of Sadhus) congregate to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_010_x.jpg
  • Nagas (Hindu ascetics who are followers of Sadhus) congregate to bathe in the Shipra River during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_009_x.jpg
  • Pre-dawn swim of nagas on the banks of the Shipra River on an auspicious day for bathing during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_001_x.jpg
  • A parade during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors..
    IND_040420_004_x.jpg
  • Pilgrims bathing in the Shipra River at the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040419_005_x.jpg
  • A Sadhu (Hindu ascetic) at the Kumbh Mela festival in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_005_xw.jpg
  • Early morning swim of nagas on the banks of the Shipra River on an auspicious day for bathing during Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, India. After a dip in the river they rub ashes on their naked bodies. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_018_x.jpg
  • Pilgrims resting near the Shipra River during Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Participants of the Mela gather to cleanse themselves spiritually by bathing in the waters of India's sacred rivers. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.).
    IND_040418_003_x.jpg
  • A holy man at the Kumbh Mela Festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India claims to only drink one glass of milk per day and be 140 years old. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_019_x.jpg
  • An elephant roaming the streets is fed cabbage scraps during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_012_x.jpg
  • Distributing food to Ashram members during KUMBH MELA in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_004_x.jpg
  • A naga sadhu at Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, India, doing yoga and giving blessing with a feather duster to people who approach with donations. The sign says his name is Mahan Birij, welcome, and that he is the disciple of Sivaratri. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.)
    IND_040418_001_x.jpg
  • A man practices yoga along the street of pilgrims during the Kumbh Mela Festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India.  The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world.  Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.  During the festival hundreds of ashrams set up free cafeterias and dusty, sprawling camps that stretch for miles. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims file past the different groups on the way to and from the river and their own dusty camps.
    IND_040423_018_x.jpg
  • A crippled street beggar naps on the ground during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_015_x.jpg
  • A Sadhu (Hindu ascetic) smoking ganja in a clay chillum during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_008_x.jpg
  • A Sadhu (Hindu ascetic) smoking ganja in a clay chillum during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_007_x.jpg
  • A Sadhu (Hindu ascetic) during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040422_005_x.jpg
  • A pilgrim during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040419_007_x.jpg
  • Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040419_004_x.jpg
  • A holy man at the Kumbh Mela Festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India claims to only drink one glass of milk per day and be 140 years old. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_020_x.jpg
  • Preparing boondi in Ujjain, India, at one of the camps at the Kumbh Mela site. Every camp had its own large/small kitchen where food is prepared for people residing in that particular camp as well as outsiders who would walk in and out for lunch/dinner. Boondi can be a savory preparation or even sweet. A thin consistency dough is prepared using gram flour, water and spices. This boondi can be made sweet by putting in sugar syrup (prepared separately) and soaked in the syrup. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats). The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.
    IND_040423_017_x.jpg
  • Jewelry market during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_013_x.jpg
  • An elephant roaming the streets is fed cabbage scraps during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_011_x.jpg
  • Smoking ganja in a clay chillum in an sahram tent during Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar.  Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_009_x.jpg
  • A Sadhu (Hindu ascetic) during the Kumbh Mela festival, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_006_x.jpg
  • At an Ashram during Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, India. The man reading a book had taken a vow of silence and could not talk to us. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_003_x.jpg
  • At an Ashram during Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, India. The man reading a book had taken a vow of silence and could not talk to us. The Kumbh Mela festival is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage held 4 times every 12 years, cycling between the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Hardiwar. Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious festivals on earth, attracting millions from all over India and the world. Past Melas have attracted up to 70 million visitors.
    IND_040423_002_x.jpg
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Peter Menzel Photography

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