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A severed cows head at a slaughterhouse, Newmarket, Kolkata, India. The cow is sacred to Hindus, but India is not all Hindus.
Muslims pray during Eid al-Adha on Red Road in Kolkata, India. Eid al-Adha is the most important Muslim holiday, and Red Road is considered perhaps the most auspicious site in Kolkata. More than 50,000 people pray here en masse. Editorial note: These are the only images captured of this event in 2012 by a foreign photographer.
Crates of soft drinks ("cold drinks") at a warehouse in Sovabazar, India. Plastic bottles are more expensive in India and not purchased as much as they are in the US. Glass bottles are reused.
Muslims pray during Eid al-Adha on Red Road in Kolkata, India. Eid al-Adha is the most important Muslim holiday, and Red Road is considered perhaps the most auspicious site in Kolkata. More than 50,000 people pray here en masse. Editorial note: These are the only images captured of this event in 2012 by a foreign photographer.
Durga Puja idols sits in piles at Babughat in Kolkata, India. The idols are statues of Hindu gods and goddesses that are brought to the Hooghly RIver and immersed, and then immediately pulled out to prevent pollution.
A family performs puja to Ganesh in their home in the Lalbaug neighborhood of Mumbai, India. Lalbaug is the epicenter of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which is celebrated throughout the Hindu world.
Durga Puja idols are immersed in the Hooghly River in Kolkata, India. The idols are statues of Hindu gods and goddesses that are brought to the rIver and immersed, and then immediately pulled out to prevent pollution.
Eyes are painted on a Durga Puja idol at a workshop in Kumartoli (Potter's Town), Kolkata, India. The idols are said to come alive when the eyes are painted.
Men load a Durga Puja idol onto a truck in Kumartoli (Potter's Town), Kolkata, India. The idol will be taken to one of the 2,500 pandals (a temporary temple of sorts) in Kolkata during the Duga Puja festival.
Nighttime view of Lakshmi idols being immersed in the Hooghly Rver - and then immediately taken out to avoid pollution - during Lakshmi Puja, Kolkata, India.
Large Ganpati (Ganesh idols) are immersed into the Arabian Sea at Chowpatty Beach, during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Mumbai, India.
Hindus perform puja (prayers) on the banks of the Hooghy River in observance of Mahalaya, a tribute to deceased relatives, Kolkata, India.