Playing pontoon: Indians take the strain in preparation for Hindu religious festival

Indian labourers struggle to pull a pontoon buoy with a rope into place in the river Ganges as they build a floating pontoon bridge over the river for the upcoming Kumbh Mela festival, in Allahabad. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take part in the large religious congregation on the banks of Sangam during the Mahakumbh festival in January next year. The Magh (Kumbh) Mela is one of the greatest annual religious affairs for Hindus. Hindu mythology considers the origin of the Magh Mela to be the beginning of the universe in line with the traditional Hindu calendar.