Beggar with horrific skin disease (or burn?), at the Kumbh Mela 2013 festival near Allahabad (India).

Maybe a flesh-eating bacteria or burn? If you can identify this medical condition, please post a Comment!

Some people say that here are syndicates who maim and injure such people and leave them out in public places to beg for money. On one stretch of road, there were several such 'beggars' interspersed at regular intervals. The injuries were always very similar and at the exact same location, on the left hand and lower left leg. It could be a clever make-up, but i'm not sure. If real, the injuries on the hands and legs look like very bad burns with surrounding necrotic tissue. These victims may not be beggars and the pain from such real injuries must be excruciating. If left untreated these sloughy wounds may well become septic and life threatening. [thanks to "sensibles" for this info]

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.