Wash and Go
A contingent of water police, keeping watch from boats, intend to keep the duration of pilgrims' baths in check. Each bather will be limited to a quick immersion lasting between five and seven minutes.

Pass the Evian
Even the saints seem to have lost faith in the fabled purity of the Ganga river. After the ritual bath and other activities at the confluence, many holy men were seen drinking bottled mineral water.

Laissez-Faire Devotion
Some enterprising individuals were seen to be making a quick buck through the sale of mud and cow dung, both in great demand by mela-goers. Both commodities are being sold at exorbitant rates in the mela area.

Watch Your Step
Special minesweepers from the Indian Army have been commissioned to keep the vast 6000-acre Kumbh Mela area free of explosives. The actions have been prompted by concern that such a large assembly of people could be a target for militants.

Please, We're Indian
A woman from Mexico took her fellow pilgrims by surprise when she began to bathe in the nude. As thousands watched on, the 24-year-old was promptly swaddled in blankets by alert policewomen, who escorted the woman back to her quarters.

Peak Traffic
The busiest days of the Mela are predicted to be January 24, when 30 million bathers are expected, and January 29, with another 15 million pilgrims.