Photos: Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India

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A Hindu holy man poses for a photograph at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers on the occasion of "Paush Purnima", during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take a ritual dip at Sangam on Sunday. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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Young Hindu monks smoke marijuana at Sri Panchayati Bada Udasin "akhara" or sect of Hindu holy men, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A young newly initiated 'Naga Sadhu' sits after performing evening rituals at the Akhara camp during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad on January 29, 2013. During every Kumbh Mela, the diksha - ritual of initiation by a guru - program for new members takes place. Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images

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A Hindu devotee takes a holy dip at " Sangam ", the meeting point of Indian holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, on occasion of " Paush Purnima ", considered to be very auspicious according to Hindu calendars, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take a ritual dip at Sangam on Sunday. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are likely to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

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An "akhara" or sect of holy Hindu men is lit up with decorative lighting during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A Hindu holy man distributes money as part of charity to "ekadandi", or single staff holding sect of Hindu holy men, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. The "ekadandis" are an ancient sect of traveling renunciates belonging to the Vaishnavite sect. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

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Hindu holy men belonging to "ekadandi", or single staff holding sect of Hindu holy men, waits for charitable food and money during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. The "ekadandis" are an ancient sect of traveling renunciates belonging to the Vaishnavite sect. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

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A Hindu devotee gasps after a dip in the cold water at " Sangam ", the meeting point of Indian holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, on occasion of " Paush Purnima ", considered to be very auspicious according to Hindu calendars, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take a ritual dip at Sangam on Sunday. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are likely to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

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Hundreds of Hindu holy men are given charitable food on the banks of the river Ganges during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. During the festival pilgrims bathe in the holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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Young Hindu monks sit while performing evening rituals at Sri Panchayati Bada Udasin "akhara" or sect of Hindu holy men, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A Hindu devotee takes a holy bath at "Sangam," the meeting point of Indian holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, on occasion of "Paush Purnima," considered to be very auspicious according to Hindu calendars, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take a ritual dip at Sangam on Sunday. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are likely to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A Hindu holy man smiles as he walks back after receiving charitable food during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. During the festival pilgrims bathe in the holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

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A Hindu devotee waits for his companion after a holy bath at "Sangam," the meeting point of Indian holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, on occasion of "Paush Purnima," considered to be very auspicious according to Hindu calendars, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take a ritual dip at Sangam on Sunday. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are likely to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A Hindu devotee lights a lamp to worship the river Ganges at "Sangam", the meeting point of Indian holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, on occasion of "Paush Purnima", considered to be very auspicious according to Hindu calendars, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take a ritual dip at Sangam on Sunday. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are likely to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

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An Indian Hindu holy man rests at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, India Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. During the festival pilgrims bathe in the holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. (AP Photo/ Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A woman washes her clothes as others participate in the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. During the festival pilgrims bathe in the holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

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A woman Naga Sadhu or naked Hindu holy woman, who belongs to the Juna Akhara, the only Akhara that has women nagas, watches the proceedings outside the women's camp during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. During the festival pilgrims bathe in the holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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A newly initiated Hindu monk of the Shri Panchayati Naya Udasin "akhara" or sect, poses for a photograph during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. During the festival pilgrims bathe in the holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)