What made this bull especially Holy is the strange long wattle protrusion at the back of his hump. This is an excrescence of skin, similar to the wattle that goats have under their neck, but much bigger. It looks like a beaver tail, and it feels soft and warm when touching it.

Pilgrim would touch the wattle for good luck, and donate money to the owner of the Holy Bull.

Photo taken in Daraganj during the Kumbh Mela 2013 festival near Allahabad (India)

Kumbh Mela is the largest festival on Earth, taking place once every 12 years, with more than 50 million Hindu pilgrims gathering to pray and bathe in the holy Ganges river.

For more photos and info about the Kumbh Mela festival, read the album description.