Pilgrims wait by the entrance to an Ashram looking for a place to settle for their time at the Kumbh
Tribal Pilgrim women gather around a straw fire outside one of millions of Army tents pitched outside of ashrams at Maha Kumbh Mela.
Keeping warm is key at night for me it was warm for them it was freezing.
Basic water supply was available all over the Kumbh grounds for pilgrims to avail of for drinking, cooking and washing.
A family had gathered under a wall-less army marquee in an un marked area of the Kumbh, they beckoned me to come in a make pictures of their children.
A pilgrim wanted me to make a picture of him at Kumbh, he has no way of contacting me for his image. I dont believe the man could write or read, despite the language barrier we had a good conversation.
A man rests under a tarpaulin, to escape the direct heat of the Maha Kumbh Mela Sun.
Commerce on the grounds of the Kumbh for pilgrims. This fruit and vegetable seller on the corner of the ‘block’ had better ssaled then those in the middle of the block.
Boy Scouts of india, filled in for the Police to aide and give directions. This is a map of the grounds, from what I gathered later on, the grounds were approximately 56 sq miles.
Clothing Logos in India are just that Logos, they mean nothing and mostly say nothing intelligible and all are in embroidered in English. I found this one on a chai seller, particularly hilarious..
A bicycle would have been great at the Kumbh before the storm.
Brahman Pilgrims circle and pray around a giant charnel temple, built by hand on the grounds. This was one of three that I could see, a fire is lit inside and the smoke is teh cleansing. Behind this was about 100 single person wooden pyramids where the monks chanted Om and the harmonics amplify the flames.
Millions of army tents covered the Kumbh grounds outside of the Ashrams.
Pilgrims walk around the fire temple with offerings.
Reflections in a sewer pond opposite the Fire temple. You are never far away from food and sewage in India.
A single monk sits by the corner of a field of “personal” chanting pyramids.
Yours truly. Photo by Tim Durkan.
A mystical figure in a back alley near my Ashram at Maha Kumbh Mela.
A family gathers around a straw fire to chat and socialize, outside of their tent.
An entire village of people who came from the south built their own village complete with village square, where the met fed along the tents and the women fed by the fire. They graciously let me in to make images of their life at Maha Kumbh Mela
Matriarchs of the village, ushered us in and offered us food at Maha Kumbh Mela.
Another tall mystical figure floated by me without a sound in the darkness at Maha Kumbh Mela.