For some sadhus gathered at Sangam, the tolerance of differences and diversity is a central tenant of Hindu faith. But only a few would understand the power of acceptance more than Shravan Giri. After all, the Australian man stands out among the rest of his family. But looking different from other sadhus is not an impediment for Giri, who has found among these ascetics a family for himself.

Giri first came to India in 1998 and knew almost instantly that he wanted to follow a new path. Recollecting his journey, he says: “Twenty-one years ago, I was brought to India from Australia. I was taken to Mount Girnar in Gujarat. There, I had a darshan of Lord Dattatreya, which changed my mind completely. I began searching for a Guru. Found a Guru in the Himalayas and became a part of the Juna Akhara. I had sanyas sanskar (initiation ceremony for Sadhus) at Ujjain in 2003. This is my fourth time at Allahabad Kumbh mela and my 10th Kumbh mela altogether.”