Indian Hindu pilgrims gather for religious festival
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Indian Hindu perform rituals after taking a holy dip at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Indian Hindus perform rituals after taking a 'holy dip' at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Indian Hindu pilgrims dry their clothes in the air after taking a dip and performing rituals at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on January 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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An Indian Hindu pilgrim performs a ritual at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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An Indian Hindu pilgrim performs a ritual with an idol of Lord Krishna at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Hindu sadhus - holy men - sit in temporary tents at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Indian Hindu pilgrims dry their clothes in the air after taking a 'holy dip' and performing rituals at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Clothes of Hindu Sadhus - holy men - hang on their tridents whilst they take a 'holy dip' at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Hindu sadhus - holy men - perform religious prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Hindu pilgrims walk past an idol of Hindu mythology at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Indian Hindu pilgrims walk past the tea pots of tea sellers at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Indian Hindus perform rituals after taking a 'holy dip' at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Indian Hindus take a 'holy dip' at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Indian Hindu perform rituals after taking a holy dip at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Indian Hindus perform rituals after taking a 'holy dip' at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Indian Hindu pilgrims dry their clothes in the air after taking a dip and performing rituals at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on January 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
An Indian Hindu pilgrim performs a ritual at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
An Indian Hindu pilgrim performs a ritual with an idol of Lord Krishna at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Hindu sadhus - holy men - sit in temporary tents at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Indian Hindu pilgrims dry their clothes in the air after taking a 'holy dip' and performing rituals at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Clothes of Hindu Sadhus - holy men - hang on their tridents whilst they take a 'holy dip' at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 15, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Hindu sadhus - holy men - perform religious prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Hindu pilgrims walk past an idol of Hindu mythology at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 12, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Indian Hindu pilgrims walk past the tea pots of tea sellers at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Hindu pilgrims walk back to the camp after performing prayers at the Gangasagar island, around 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Indian Hindus perform rituals after taking a 'holy dip' at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Indian Hindus take a 'holy dip' at the Gangasagar island, some 160km south of Kolkata on Jan 14, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Images from India where Sadhus and Hindu pilgrims from all over the country have gathered for the annual Hindu holy festival Gangasagar Mela.
More than 400,000 Hindu pilgrims have gathered to take a "holy dip" in the ocean at the confluence of the River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a holy day in the Hindu calendar considered to be of great religious significance in Hindu mythology.
