It is customary to give alms at religious festival such as this. Alms can be given as dry, uncooked rice or as small change, paise.
I watched as the passing pilgrims gave no more than a small handful of rice and a few coins to each of the poor and needy. Of course, a small handful of rice and a few coins multiplied by the crowd here over the three days can add up to a nice amount for these families.
So what was the man doing in the last photo. He changes money. Paise is hardly used in India nowadays the value being so small. He changes rupee notes into paise to ensure that the money is spread further.
(Ina heeft het goed geraden)