Inside India’s Kumbh Mela festival where holy men (and women) reach the gods with a little help from some marijuana and technicolour make-up

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A Naga Sadhu smokes cannibis to expand his mind during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, India last year

A young men becoming a Naga Sadhu in one of the thousands of ancient rituals that take place along the banks of the scared river Saraswati

Sadhus must abandon all their material possessions and familial attachments, living a life of poverty housed in temples or caves, starting each day by bathing in cold water, and supported by donations by the devoutA Naga Sadhu with very long hair holds it above his head during the 55 day pilgrimage last year, which occurs every forth year at rotating locationsAn elephant with its tusks filed down, parades through the streets, ridden by three pilgrims who descended on Allahabad in last years Kumbh Mela

Sacred: One of the most important parts of the festival for pilgrims is having the chance to take a dip in the sacred Ganges River

Looking good: Naga Sadhu, one of the babas at the Kumbh Mela festival, poses in a pair of dark sunglasses for photographer Eric Lafforgue

Source: Daily Mail