Ken Hermann: Sadhus of the Kumbh

Photo ©Ken Hermann-All Rights Reserved

Ken Hermann is a photographer based in Copenhagen, Denmark and is a member of the Behance Network. He has a personal website, but I get a no access message when I try to view it.

No matter, his portraits of Sadhus made during the 2010 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar can be seen on here.

Sadhus attend Kumbh Mela festivals and are amongst the many driving forces behind these festivals, and are also a magnet for photographers and photojournalists because of their appearance, and lifestyle.

The normal Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 4 years. The Ardh Kumbh Mella is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Prayag, as the one earlier this year. The Purna Kumbh takes place every twelve years at four places: Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. The Maha Kumbh Mela occurs after 12 Purna Kumbh Melas, or 144 years, and is always held at Allahabad. This is the one I attended in January 2001 along with  60 million other people.