India 2016
Haridwar, India. Haridwar means "Gateway to God." An Indian woman has come to bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges.
Haridwar, India. One of many sadhus that one encounters in Haridwar, especially during this time of Kumbh Mela.
Haridwar, India. Geeta Ashram. There are hundreds of ashrams in this holy city, each one the site of various Indian spiritual or cultural activity. This ashram provides a free dinner every evening to local sadhus, such as this one.
Haridwar, India. Geeta Ashram. Sadhus wait patiently in line for the ashram dinner.
Haridwar, India. Geeta Ashram. A sadhu waits for dinner.
Haridwar, India. Geeta Ashram. A jovial group of sadhus in the dinner line.
Haridwar, India. Geeta Ashram. One of the sadhus waiting for dinner.
Haridwar, India. Geeta Ashram. Female sadhus, called sadvhis, wait separately from the men for dinner.
Haridwar, India. Geeta Ashram. Long lines of sadhus in rows on the courtyard floor get assembly line service from ashram volunteers.
Haridwar, India. Har ki paudi ghats. Here at Haridwar's main bathing steps (ghats) along the Ganges, the river is cold and fast-flowing, the emotions deep.
Haridwar, India. Har ki paudi ghats. Bathing in the Ganges during a Kumbh is especially propitious and a clear source of joy for this woman.
Haridwar, India. Har ki paudi ghats. The Hindu traditions behind the Kumbh include gods churning an ocean of milk in their quest for the nectar of immortality. This group of pilgrims joyfully churns the Ganges.
Haridwar, India. Har ki paudi ghats. A Hindu man who is recovering from a deep personal loss, such as the death of a close relative, may have his head and chin clean-shaven to prepare for and strengthen the benefits of his bath in the Ganges.
Haridwar, India. Har ki paudi ghats. A Pind Dan ceremony led by a priest (on the left) for family members (on the right). This ceremony is mandatory for a devout Hindu to ensure the salvation of the departed soul of a family member.
Haridwar, India. Har ki paudi ghats. Every evening, the temple that encompasses this part of the ghats performs a Ganga Aarti, or river-worshipping ceremony, led by priests with flaming lanterns.
Haridwar, India. Har ki paudi ghats. An elderly woman, with the support of her companions (likely a son and daughters), revels in the cleansing power of the holy Ganges.
Haridwar, India. Har ki paudi ghats. Here, the Ganges channel is especially narrow and the current especially swift. A metal fence aims to protect bathers from being swept away.
Haridwar, India. Next to a side channel of the Ganges, a sadhu does yoga exercises.
Haridwar, India. This sadhu, who goes by the respectful nickname Rome Baba, taught yoga in Italy for a dozen years and speaks fluent Italian.
Haridwar, India. After a bath in the Ganges, this sadhu has covered his body with ash, which symbolizes his renunciation of self.
Haridwar, India. The friendly face of a sadhu.
Haridwar, India. The piercing gaze of a sadhu.
Haridwar, India. Some sadhus keep their hair very long, and ordinarily wrapped into a bun. That long hair can add drama to a sunrise bath in Ganges.
Haridwar, India. A sadhu enjoys the conclusion of a dramatic flip of his long hair during this Ganges bathing session.
Haridwar, India. A sadhu offers holy water of the Ganges to the sun. Sunrise light, filtered through the flowing water, energizes the body and soul.
Haridwar, India. A very limber sadhu does yoga exercises, flanked by a trident, which represents the sacred weapon of the Hindu diety Shiva.
Haridwar, India. An extremely limber sadhu does a yoga exercise.
Rishikesh, India. A sadhu enjoys the solitude of a remote mountain stream above the Ganges. Naga sadhus, such as this one, own nothing but nature.
Rishikesh, India. Below a waterfall in a mountain stream that flows into the Ganges, a sadhu applies ash to the body of a just-bathed friend.
Rishikesh, India. A sadhu revels in the cleansing water of a mountain waterfall in a Ganges tributary stream.
Rishikesh, India. On the rocky banks of the Ganges as it emerges from the Himalayan foothills, an ash-covered sadhu has a moment of reflection.
Rishikesh, India. A sadhu on the rocks next to the Ganges, where it emerges from the Himalayan foothills.
Rishikesh, India. The intent face of a sadhu.
Ranthambore National Park, India. A gum karaya tree. This deciduous tree is also known as a ghost tree, with its grey trunk and branches, and leaves clustered at the tips of the twigs.
Ranthambore National Park, India. A tiger scans for prey through the underbrush.
Ranthambore National Park, India. A yawning tiger next to a park road flashes massive incisors.
Ranthambore National Park, India. A focused tiger.
Ranthambore National Park, India. A tiger traverses the distinctively rocky landscape for which this park is renowned.
Ranthambore National Park, India. A young sambar deer, feeding in the red algae-covered water, is about to serve as a lookout perch for an arriving pond heron.
Ranthambore National Park, India. A wild boar feeds in the shallows of a lake covered with red algae.
Ranthambore National Park, India. A sambar buck and doe feed in a shallow lake; red algae blooms on the surface.
Lata, Bhoramdeo, Chhattisgarh, India. A muscian awaits the beginning of a tribal dance.
Lata, Bhoramdeo, Chhattisgarh, India. Villagers enjoy a dance moment.
Lata, Bhoramdeo, Chhattisgarh, India. A village woman and her child.
Lata, Bhoramdeo, Chhattisgarh, India. A young boy brings a load of hay to the village.
Lata, Bhoramdeo, Chhattisgarh, India. A village girl.
Lata, Bhoramdeo, Chhattisgarh, India. A pair of village girls.
Beda, Bhoramdeo, Chhattisgarh, India. Early in the morning, a young Baiga villager takes water from the communal well back to her home .