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portrait of a pilgrim, gangasagar transit camp

She happens to be a widow (white clothes, lack of sindoor on forehead etc) and had come by train with her village folk from Rewa, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rewa,_Madhya_Pradesh around a days journey from Kolkata

 

The Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair is the second largest congregation of mankind after the triennial ritual bathing of Kumbha Mela, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagar_Island#Pilgrimage

pilgrims gather here from all parts of india, to proceed to the gangasagar mela which is another 110 kms - the final stretch

the big day is makar sankranti, which was on the 15th of jan this year

 

this was my second visit to the camp, which was almost deserted

my earlier visit was on the 13th & the camp was teeming with activity

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Uploaded on January 19, 2016
Taken on January 17, 2016