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In India, political posters hide the construction of the Metro station.

A gritty street in the Dharamsala district in India produces a mesmerizing juxtaposition of location, words and colors. The effect is both confusing and fascinating. Who wants ice cream?

When a street in Delhi becomes an impromptu place to urinate, locals post pictures of the gods. Apparently, people won’t pee in front of the gods.

Day laborers on the street of Old Delhi market themselves and their craft by displaying their tools in front of themselves on the sidewalk. Potential customers can come to this area to find painters, plumbers, or carpenters. 

At an elephant sanctuary in the southern state of Kerala, the animals are trained for temple ceremonies. This was the oldest elephant at the sanctuary, and the trainer was shoveling dirt onto his back to help the creature give himself a dust bath to repel insects and protect his hide from the sun.

Fruit sellers make beautiful pyramids to display their wares. It costs nothing, but adds bushels of appeal.

In India, people have a different sense of privacy, from personal space to the boundaries between personal and professional lives. Here, a cell phone number is displayed on a billboard.

Cows are sacred animals for Hindus, and have always been an important part of life in India. Traditionally, people placed their garbage in the streets, where the cows ate it. With the invention of the plastic bag, this system has broken down—it’s reported that 20,000 cows die each month in India from ingesting plastic bags.

It was inspiring to see culturally relevant technology being prototyped and designed by students at some of India’s top design schools. Shown here is a prototype of a bicycle adapted for carrying water.

India is a country of contrasts: lush rural landscapes and urban squalor, high tech business and governmental bureaucracy, high-rise apartments and the tent cities at their bases. This picture—taken early in the morning at the Gateway of India in Mumbai—captures some of that contrast.