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It’s difficult to visualise what 50 million human beings in the same place looks like but that’s how many attend India’s Kumbha Mela. This is the most holy festival in India, located at the convergence between the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical underground river the Sarawasti. According to the ancient scripture the Bhagavad Ghita, every Hindu must make this journey at least once in their lifetime to wash away their sins in the holy waters. As a photographer I wanted to catch the magical early morning sunlight and began the six kilometre walk to the main site at 4am, accompanied by a sea of pilgrims. The first sign you’re drawing close is the distant rumble of the drummers. Then you become aware of an amber glow emanating from the tented metropolis ahead, a light that’s neither night nor day. The major event of the festival is a ritual bath. The most holy of all the Sadhus – the Nagas – lead the tens of millions into the river. This fearsome group of naked men, who originate from the Himalayan mountains, brandish tridents, axes and spears which they use to goad the onlooking crowds before running full pelt into the icy waters of the Ganges. Tom Parker
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