Hindu ascetic rising from the river after a holy dip is emblematic of Maha Kumbh festival in India

The man appears in a silhouette after rising from the river. His dreadlocked hair is flicked backwards, sending a stream of water in a clockwise swirl. Others surround him, with some holding the saffron flag of Hinduism, all repeating a centuries-old ritual that Hindus believe cleanses them of their sins and releases them from the cycle of rebirth.