Hindu fringe elements in parts of northern India have resorted to mass protests and vandalism in a bid to block the release of “Padmaavat,” a film about a mythical Hindu queen. Protesters say the movie distorts history. – Author: Srinivas Mazumdaru

An indian woman walks on a dried and cracked water pond as she carries bucket to take drinking water. © Imago/Zuma Press

In the baking sun and swirling dust, Madhu, 37, looks dejected as she surveys the parched field of kharif paddy and pulse crops in Hamirpur in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

The city of Vrindavan in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is also known as the ‘City of Widows’ and is home to an estimated number of 20,000 women who have lost their husbands. These women have been abandoned by their families and are shunned by the society because of many superstitions. Widows are said to bring bad luck and being a widow is considered the biggest curse for a woman.

There are several souvenir shops at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi where tourists can buy books and models of the Taj Mahal and autorickshaws as souvenirs of their trip to the subcontinent. The Kamasutra, the ancient Sanskrit guide to sexual behavior,