Lonely Planet India - August 2016

GLOBETROTTER THE PHOTO STORY

During certain Indian festivals it is a common sight to see children dressed up as religious deities. Families often make their children dress like the god they wish to

appease. But sometimes children don the garb of divinity and are then made to beg for alms for who could refuse a god-child? Here a boy dressed as Lord Shiva poses

for a picture at the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad

PHOTOGRAPHS: VIVEK NIGAM (PAINTED CHILD) AYAN GHOSH (GIRL WITH FLOWERS) & SANJEEV MATHUR (BOYS OUTSIDE JAMA MASJID)

Apart from the bottle-brush plant (pictured) jasmines marigolds roses and

lotuses among others are quintessentially Indian flowers their delicate colours

and smells a treat for the senses

Delhi’s famous Jama Masjid is one of the city’s principal mosques. Built by

Shah Jahan at a cost of a million rupees at the time its courtyard can hold up

to 25000 worshippers. Here a scene from the annual Eid festival at the mosque

26 July 2016