Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Camps and tents where thousands of pilgrims and sadhus settle during Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India. Seen here are UP tented colony camp.

Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Pilgrims walk along a pontoon bride at the banks of sangam (confluence) in Allahabad, India.

Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

A dip in Ganga during Kumbha Mela, tradition says, washes away the karma of many births. Kumbha Mela in Allahbad, India.

Hindu devotees take a dip in the river at sunrise and also privately perform ancient ritual of offering a flower to the river. They also perform pujas (ritual) on the behalf of the absent and the deceased. Maha Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

A dip in Ganga during Kumbha Mela, tradition says, washes away the karma of many births. Kumbha Mela in Allahbad, India.

Hindu devotees take a dip in the river at sunrise and also privately perform ancient ritual of offering a flower to the river. They also perform pujas (ritual) on the behalf of the absent and the deceased. Maha Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Sadhu initition at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Sadhus at ghat for initiation. Around 500 sadhus were initiated this year at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad. In the late afternoon half a dozen of barber shaved their heads. The monks sat by patiently as this went on, occasionally raising their hands and shouting "HAR HAR MAHADEV!" of "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!" Shortly the procession to the ghat began, with hundreds of thousands of devotees lining the road. Every time the sadhus would shout "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!", the crowd would shout the words back with loud devotion. Once at ghats, the two hour long initiation was conducted by head Pandit or head priest and several other senior priests, whose privilege it was to conduct the initiation of sadhus. As the ceremony went on, all the 500 or so sadhus would perform the same action at the same time, the offering of incense and flowers; bathing in river etc. The ceremony concluded with the donning of new loincloths and sacred thread. India.

Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Sadhu initition at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Sadhus march to ghats for initiation. Around 500 sadhus were initiated this year at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad. In the late afternoon half a dozen of barber shaved their heads. The monks sat by patiently as this went on, occasionally raising their hands and shouting "HAR HAR MAHADEV!" of "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!" Shortly the procession to the ghat began, with hundreds of thousands of devotees lining the road. Every time the sadhus would shout "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!", the crowd would shout the words back with loud devotion. Once at ghats, the two hour long initiation was conducted by head Pandit or head priest and several other senior priests, whose privilege it was to conduct the initiation of sadhus. As the ceremony went on, all the 500 or so sadhus would perform the same action at the same time, the offering of incense and flowers; bathing in river etc. The ceremony concluded with the donning of new loincloths and sacred thread. India.

Hawan or Yagya during Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Hindu boys performing yagya ceremony, it is called Chaitanya Brahmacharya. It is a ritual to enhance better humanity. Allahabad, India.

Sadhu initition at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Sadhus at their camps after initiation. Around 500 sadhus were initiated this year at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad. In the late afternoon half a dozen of barber shaved their heads. The monks sat by patiently as this went on, occasionally raising their hands and shouting "HAR HAR MAHADEV!" of "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!" Shortly the procession to the ghat began, with hundreds of thousands of devotees lining the road. Every time the sadhus would shout "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!", the crowd would shout the words back with loud devotion. Once at ghats, the two hour long initiation was conducted by head Pandit or head priest and several other senior priests, whose privilege it was to conduct the initiation of sadhus. As the ceremony went on, all the 500 or so sadhus would perform the same action at the same time, the offering of incense and flowers; bathing in river etc. The ceremony concluded with the donning of new loincloths and sacred thread. India.

Sadhu initition at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Sadhus sit in groups around fire and chant mantra a night before their initiation. Around 500 sadhus were initiated this year at Kumbha Mela in Allahabad. In the late afternoon half a dozen of barber shaved their heads. The monks sat by patiently as this went on, occasionally raising their hands and shouting "HAR HAR MAHADEV!" of "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!" Shortly the procession to the ghat began, with hundreds of thousands of devotees lining the road. Every time the sadhus would shout "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!", the crowd would shout the words back with loud devotion. Once at ghats, the two hour long initiation was conducted by head Pandit or head priest and several other senior priests, whose privilege it was to conduct the initiation of sadhus. As the ceremony went on, all the 500 or so sadhus would perform the same action at the same time, the offering of incense and flowers; bathing in river etc. The ceremony concluded with the donning of new loincloths and sacred thread. India.

Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, India.

Swami Chidananda Saraswati, Baba Ram Dev with other Hindu dignitaries perform puja at bank of Ganges to support "Save The Ganga" project. The program was concluded performing aarati, flame offering ceremony. Allahabd, India.