honorable mention
Erberto Zani italy
title
Portraits from Maha Kumbh Mela (India)
During the religious festival of Maha Kumbh Mela thousand of Sadhu, Hindu holy men, arrive from all India for praying near the Gange river. Kumbh Mela means "gathering of the jug" and is the most important Hindu festival. It takes place on a twelve-year cycles in four different places where millions of faithful followers gather to perform the ritual baths in the cleansing waters of Gange. In the city of Allahabad, believed to be the main place, the pilgrimage and the related festivities are celebrated in the most solemn manner, the "Purna Kumbh Mela". Every 12 cycles, that is to say every 144 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela (Queen of the celebrations) takes place and is the greatest of all festivals. No event in the world can compete in size, dimension and fervor with this celebration of men and gods: the Maha Kumbh Mela is definitely the biggest event in the worldand the recent edition, which took place between January and March of 2013, recorded an impressive attendance of over 80 millions pilgrims who, during the 55-day festivities, have converged in the city of Allahabad.Next edition of Maha Kumbh Mela will take place on 2157.
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entry description
Portraits from Maha Kumbh MelaDuring the religious festival of Maha Kumbh Mela thousand of Sadhu, Hindu holy men, arrive from all India for praying near the Gange river. Kumbh Mela means "gathering of the jug" and is the most important Hindu festival. It takes place on a twelve-year cycles in four different places where millions of faithful followers gather to perform the ritual baths in the cleansing waters of Gange. In the city of Allahabad, believed to be the main place, the pilgrimage and the related festivities are celebrated in the most solemn manner, the "Purna Kumbh Mela". Every 12 cycles, that is to say every 144 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela (Queen of the celebrations) takes place and is the greatest of all festivals. No event in the world can compete in size, dimension and fervor with this celebration of men and gods: the Maha Kumbh Mela is definitely the biggest event in the worldand the recent edition, which took place between January and March of 2013, recorded an impressive attendance of over 80 millions pilgrims who, during the 55-day festivities, have converged in the city of Allahabad.Next edition of Maha Kumbh Mela will take place on 2157.
about the photographer
Erberto Zani (1978) is a photographer and journalist freelance based in Italy. Freelance since 2008, his works include reportage on war for minerals in North Kivu (D.R.Congo), earthquake's effect in Haiti, landmines in Cambodia, water crises in Burkina Faso, Somali refugee in Nepal, daily life inside the favelas of Medellin, Hindu festival of Maha Kumbh Mela (India). Since 2011 he's a member of AIRF, Italian Press - Photographers Association.back to gallery