Monday July 23, 2007, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Shilpa Gupta

Indian artist Shilpa Gupta poses for a photograph.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday September 10, 2007, Mumbai, India

Dabbawala

Dabbawalas

Portrait of a Dabbawala.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Homeless woman rests in a earthquake hit area in Indian Kashmir.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Friday October 5, 2007, Mumbai, India

Indian Muslims honor Ramadan traditions

Indian Muslims take part in Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. In a bid to purify both body and soul, devout Muslims abstain from food, drink, sex, cigarettes, and profanity from dawn till dusk throughout the month.

A woman walks past Muslim men bowing in prayer while carrying a parasol.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Thursday September 6, 2007, Mumbai, India

Dabbawalas

Dabbawala

Portrait of a Dabbawala

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday May 21, 2007, Leh, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Cricket in India's 'Little Tibet' region

Boys enjoy a game of cricket in Ladakh. Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region is known as one of the most sparsely populated regions in India. Renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture, it is sometimes referred to as "Little Tibet," owing to the Buddhist region's strong cultural influence on the Indian region.

Young boys enjoy a game of cricket in Leh.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Tuesday August 14, 2007, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

India prepares for Independence Day celebrations

A massive security blanket has been spread over India's financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai in the run up to the country's 60th Independence Day celebrations. India celebrates its independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 2007.

A Street boy waves an Indian flag at a busy intersection as a couple ride by on a motorcycle.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Wednesday July 25, 2007, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Malnutrition in Mumbai

Seven-month-old twins Rohini and Rohit, who hail from a tribal family, have been declared malnourished by a team of the city's civic administration doctors, local media reported. India, home to millions of underfed children despite its flourishing economy, will have eradicated malnutrition by 2015, the country's health minister said. A government survey released this year found that 46 percent of children under the age of three years were undernourished.

Seven-month-old Rohini (L), suffering from grade 3 malnutrition, looks over at another infant.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Wednesday July 25, 2007, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Malnutrition in Mumbai

Seven-month-old twins Rohini and Rohit, who hail from a tribal family, have been declared malnourished by a team of the city's civic administration doctors, local media reported. India, home to millions of underfed children despite its flourishing economy, will have eradicated malnutrition by 2015, the country's health minister said. A government survey released this year found that 46 percent of children under the age of three years were undernourished.

Seven-month-old Rohit, suffering from grade 4 malnutrition, rests in a hammock.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday July 16, 2007, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India

India's City of Widows

Vrindavan is also known as the City of Widows. According to some Hindu traditions, upper-caste widows may not remarry, so many of those abandoned by their families upon the death of their husbands make their way here. There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 widows living on the streets, many of whom have spent over 30 years there.

An elderly widowed woman rests inside a bhajanashram.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday April 9, 2007, Bihar, India

Child workers in India

According to UNICEF, an estimated 218 million children aged 5-17 are engaged in child labour, excluding child domestic labour. Some 126 million of these children are believed to be engaged in hazardous situations or conditions, such as working in mines, working with chemicals and pesticides in agriculture or working with dangerous machinery. They are everywhere, but invisible, toiling as domestic servants in homes, labouring behind the walls of workshops, hidden from view in plantations.

Boy carries bricks on head to a construction house.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Saturday July 14, 2007, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal(sometimes called "the Taj" )was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife and is amongst the new 7 wonders of the world. It is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. In 1983 the Taj became a UNESCO World Heritage site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

A man rows a boat as the Taj Mahal is reflected in river Yamuna.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday September 3, 2007, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Visually impaired children celebrate birth of Krishna in India

Visually impaired boys celebrate the Hindu festival of "Janmashtami," which marks the birthday of the Hindu God Krishna. Formal celebrations in India take place every September 4th.

Visually impaired boys dance beneath the spray of a water pipe during Krishna celebrations.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday September 10, 2007, Mumbai, India

Dabbawala

Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas eat lunch at a raliway station.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday September 10, 2007, Mumbai, India

Dabbawala

Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas travel in a local train while delivering tiffins.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday July 16, 2007, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India

India's City of Widows

Vrindavan is also known as the City of Widows. According to some Hindu traditions, upper-caste widows may not remarry, so many of those abandoned by their families upon the death of their husbands make their way here. There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 widows living on the streets, many of whom have spent over 30 years there.

Elderly widowed women chant prayers inside a bhajanashram.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Wednesday June 27, 2007, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Mumbai officials hope to rebuild one of Asia's largest slums

Home to over a million people, Dharavi - considered to be one of Asia's largest slums - is a heart-shaped settlement in central Mumbai spread over an area of 1.75 kilometers. Authorities in India's financial capital invited a global tender in early June 2007 to tear down the slums and replace them with gleaming new apartments, but the project is viewed with suspicion in the eyes of most of the local population. The development program includes 100 billion rupees ($2.48 billion) over seven years to develop Dharavi.

Children sing songs inside a school in the Dharavi slums.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday September 10, 2007, Mumbai, India

Dabbawala

Dabbawalas

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday July 16, 2007, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India

India's City of Widows

Vrindavan is also known as the City of Widows. According to some Hindu traditions, upper-caste widows may not remarry, so many of those abandoned by their families upon the death of their husbands make their way here. There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 widows living on the streets, many of whom have spent over 30 years there.

An elderly widowed woman walks the streets of Vrindavan hunched over.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Tuesday May 15, 2007, Srinagar, Kashmir, India

Kashmiri girls orphange

Some 100 girls from all over India's Kashmir region live in the Gulshan-e-Banaat girls orphanage. Founded in 2001, the Gulshan-e-Banaat girls orphange holds the honor of being the first established in Kashmir's non-governmental sector. Construction of the orphanage was completed in July of 2003.

Young Kashmiri girls eat lunch together at the orphanage.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Sunday July 15, 2007, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal(sometimes called "the Taj" )was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife and is amongst the new 7 wonders of the world. It is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. In 1983 the Taj became a UNESCO World Heritage site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

A man walks towards a hand pump to fill water in a village behind the Taj Mahal.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Sunday July 15, 2007, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal(sometimes called "the Taj" )was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife and is amongst the new 7 wonders of the world. It is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. In 1983 the Taj became a UNESCO World Heritage site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

Tourists stand in front of the Taj Mahal.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Wednesday July 11, 2007, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal(sometimes called "the Taj" )was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife and is amongst the new 7 wonders of the world. It is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. In 1983 the Taj became a UNESCO World Heritage site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

A man prepares to pray near the Taj Mahal.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Monday July 16, 2007, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India

India's City of Widows

Vrindavan is also known as the City of Widows. According to some Hindu traditions, upper-caste widows may not remarry, so many of those abandoned by their families upon the death of their husbands make their way here. There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 widows living on the streets, many of whom have spent over 30 years there.

An elderly widowed woman passes a cow on the streets of Vrindavan, hunched over.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Wednesday July 11, 2007, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal(sometimes called "the Taj" )was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife and is amongst the new 7 wonders of the world. It is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. In 1983 the Taj became a UNESCO World Heritage site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

Taj Mahal is scene through barbed wires.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Tuesday June 26, 2007, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Mumbai officials hope to rebuild one of Asia's largest slums

Home to over a million people, Dharavi - considered to be one of Asia's largest slums - is a heart-shaped settlement in central Mumbai spread over an area of 1.75 kilometers. Authorities in India's financial capital invited a global tender in early June 2007 to tear down the slums and replace them with gleaming new apartments, but the project is viewed with suspicion in the eyes of most of the local population. The development program includes 100 billion rupees ($2.48 billion) over seven years to develop Dharavi.

A photographer takes an aerial photograph of the Dharavi slums.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Thursday September 6, 2007, Mumbai, India

Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas

A dabbawala prepares to eat tobacco leaves.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Thursday September 6, 2007, Mumbai, India

Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas push a cart full of tiffins through a busy road on way to delivering tiffins.

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Dharavi Slums

Credit: Adeel Halim / Polaris

Adeel Halim