Thousands of people and almost a million heads of livestock cover every square inch of desert expanse. Tents, hastily erected shelters dot the dunes, lines the roads, crowd the narrow streets of the holy town.
And by nightfall camp sites twinkle with lights and tinkle with the sound of folk instruments. The fragrance of burning dung and pungently spiced food wafts across the open spaces. The mother of all melas settles down for the night.

Text and photos by Sanjay Singh Badnor and Kevin J Vogeley. Designed by Rajesh Karkera