The Frame
A photo blog of world events by Sacbee.com Assistant Director of Multimedia Tim Reese.
Subscribe to feed Subscribe to this blog's feed
February 1, 2012
Magh Mela festival 2012
Hundreds of thousands of devout Hindus bathe at the confluence of the Ganges River in India during the astronomically auspicious period of over 45 days celebrated as 'Magh Mela.' The pilgrims take dips in the river, some hoping to wash away sins and others to secure a fine spouse, during the festival.
(34 images)



Indian Hindu holy men perform a ritual by burning dried cow dung cakes in earthen pots overhead in their quest for salvation at Sangam, the confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Basant Panchmi festival that falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh


magh_mela_02.jpg
Hindu pilrims arrive at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP /



magh_mela_03.jpg
Indian Hindu holy men perform rituals inside a circle made of dried cow dung cakes at Sangam, confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_04.jpg
A Sadhu, or a Hindu holy man, takes a dip at Sangam, confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_05.jpg
Indian women offer prayers at the 'Sangam', the confluence of the Ganges Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Basant Panchami festival that falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_06.jpg
Indian Hindu holy men perform rituals inside a circle made of dried cow dung cakes at Sangam, confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_07.jpg
A Sadhu, or Hindu holy man, smokes marijuana at Sangam, the confluence of the Rivers Ganges,Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_08.jpg
A Hindu holy man drinks tea at Sangam, the confluence of the Rivers Ganges,Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_09.jpg
A Hindu couple offers prayers at the 'Sangam', the confluence of the Ganges Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Basant Panchami festival that falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_10.jpg
Indian women offers prayers at the 'Sangam', the confluence of the Ganges Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Basant Panchami festival that falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_11.jpg
Hindu devotees arrive at Sangam amidst morning fog to offer prayers on the banks of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Basant Panchami festival that falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. Basant Panchami, the fifth day of spring is celebrated by worshipping Hindu Goddess of knowledge and wisdom, Saraswati . AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_12.jpg
Hindu devotees offer prayers after a holy dip at the 'Sangam', the confluence of the Ganges Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Basant Panchami festival that falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_13.jpg
A shopkeeper waits in his shop as Hindu devotees arrive at the 'Sangam', the confluence of the Ganges Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Basant Panchami festival that falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_14.jpg
Hindu devotees gather to offer prayers and a holy dip at the 'Sangam', the confluence of the Ganges Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Basant Panchami festival that falls during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_15.jpg
Makeshift tents of Hindu devotees are seen at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna, during the annual Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_16.jpg
A Hindu holy man waits for alms while lying down on the banks the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_17.jpg
Hindu devotees pray and take bath at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan.27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_18.jpg
Hindu devotees take bath at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_19.jpg
A boy sells flowers at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_20.jpg
Indian Hindu women prostrate themselves as others offer prayers before taking a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_21.jpg
Hindu pilgrims arrive on tractors for a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_22.jpg
Indian holy men queue for food after completing their morning prayer at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_23.jpg
Hindu devotees pray at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Friday, Jan.27, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_24.jpg
Hindu devotees cross a newly constructed temporary bridge on the Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati during the annual month-long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India , Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_25.jpg
Married Hindu women perform rituals near a Banyan tree during the Magh Mela festival in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_26.jpg
A child looks on after taking a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_27.jpg
A Hindu holy man applies vermilion on a Hindu devotee at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_28.jpg
A woman weeps as she searches for her son in the massive crowd gathering at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_29.jpg
Hindu devotees congregate to take ritualistic dips in Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_30.jpg
A Hindu devotee offers prayers to the Sun god on Mauni Amavasya, or new moon day, third and the most auspicious date of bathing during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_31.jpg
Hindu devotees offer prayers to the Sun god on Mauni Amavasya, or new moon day, third and the most auspicious date of bathing during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_32.jpg
Pilgrims wait to make their offerings at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_33.jpg
An Indian woman tries to make her way through the massive crowd making offerings at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the annual month long Hindu religious fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



magh_mela_34.jpg
Hundreds of tents of Hindu devotees, participating in the annual Magh Mela festival are erected at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges and Yamuna, in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh



Posted by
3:15 PM 3:16 PM | Comments

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

About Comments

Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.

What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com

Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)

Here are some rules of the road:

• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.

• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.

• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.

• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and send him a direct message.

• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.

• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.

• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.

• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.

You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.

If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to feedback@sacbee.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.

hide comments
blog comments powered by Disqus