Procession of Naga Babas on the main bath day, at the Kumbh Mela 2013 festival near Allahabad (India).

Naga Sadhus (naked with their bodies covered with ritual Vibhuti sacred ash) converge toward the Ganges river to take the Holy bath at the Sangam. The Triveni Sangam is the confluence of the Yamuna and the Ganga (Ganges) rivers, and this is the holiest place to take the ritual baths during the Kumbh Mela.

This was the morning of Kumbh Maha Snan or main bathing day, also called Mauni Amavasya, which is the the most auspicious morning for taking the holy bath in the Ganges river.

Also called Naga babas, those naked sadhus are wanderers with no possessions.

For more info about Vibhuti, the Hindu holy ash, read en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibhuti.

For more info on Sadhus, go to:

- factsanddetails.com/world/cat55/sub354/item1345.html

- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadhu

For more info about Naga [naked] Sadhus, go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashanami_Sampradaya.

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.