Kumbh Mela in India – in pictures

A man jumps up and down in the water at Sangam Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

A reluctant young pilgrim is taken for a dip by his parents Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

Naga sadhus, Hindu holy men, run into the water at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

Naga sadhus dry their hair after a dip Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP

A man holds his belongings aloft as he attends the first shahi snan, or grand bath Photograph: Ahmad Masood/Reuters

A naga sadhu prays at daybreak Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images

Men perform prayer rituals at Sangam Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

Naga sadhus run in to bathe in the waters of the Ganges river on the auspicious bathing day of Makar Sankranti Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

An Indian Hindu holy man, or Naga Sadhu, swings his hair as he bathes at Sangam Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

A volunteer carries a life preserver as he watches the fence line in the bathing area at Sangam Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

Sadhus or holy man run into the Sangham Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images

A Hindu Sadhu or Holy Man closes his eyes as he prays while bathing in the Sangam Photograph: Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images

Naga sadhus return to their camp after a dip at Sangam Photograph: Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP

An elderly man with a large turban offers prayers as he bathes at the banks of Sangam Photograph: Anindito Mukherjee/EPA

Hindu devotees pray in the waters of the Sangham Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images

Indian Hindu devotees pray at Sangam Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP