Photos that defined India in the year 2016

Indian Sikh devotees pay respects on the first day of the year at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on January 1, 2016.

Indian Sikh devotees pay respects on the first day of the year at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on January 1, 2016.

Indian Sikh devotees pay respects on the first day of the year at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on January 1, 2016.

Kashmiri Muslims pray as unseen priest shows a relic believed to be a hair from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar on January 1, 2016, on the last Friday of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. Thousands of Kashmiri Muslims gathered at the shrine in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir to offer prayers on the Prophet’s birth anniversary.

A Light Combat Helicopter performs manoeuvres during an aerial display after Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s new helicopter manufacturing facility at Bidarehalla Kaval near Tumakuru, some 100 kms north-west of Bangalore on January 3, 2016. The HAL’s greenfield facility on 610 acres of land where the manufacture and assembly of Light Utility Helicopters (LUH), which are to be used by the Indian Army and Airforce for observation and rescue operations, will take place. The unit will also carry out maintenance, repair and overhaul of the helicopters and create employment for some 3000 workers.

Indian Sikh youth perform Gatka – traditional form of Sikh Martial arts – during a religious procession in Jammu on January 2, 2016, on the eve of the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh the last of the ten Sikh Gurus.

An Indian right wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh volunteer climbs atop a tree as he listens to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat speak at a rally in Pune some 135 kms from Mumbai on January 3, 2016.

A Kashmiri roadside vendor selling lotus roots and vegetables waits for customers during fresh snowfall on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar on January 4, 2016.

Indian soldiers of the Assam Rifles march during a rehearsal for the forthcoming Republic Day parade on a foggy winter morning at Rajpath in New Delhi on January 4, 2016. India will celebrate its 67th Republic Day on January 26 with a large military parade.

Indian cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni (L) and Virat Kohli are seen on a giant screen at the The BCCI Annual Awards, 2014-15 in Mumbai on January 5, 2016. The BCCI Annual Awards, held annually is to honour achievements of Indian cricketers in domestic and international level.

Indian Army personnel rest near a fountain ahead of the rehearsal for the forthcoming Republic Day parade on a foggy winter morning at Rajpath in New Delhi on January 5, 2016. India will celebrate its 67th Republic Day on January 26 with a large military parade.

Indian Army personnel march during a rehearsal for the forthcoming Republic Day parade on a foggy winter morning at Rajpath in New Delhi on January 5, 2016. India will celebrate its 67th Republic Day on January 26 with a large military parade.

Kashmiri mourners carry the coffin of the chief minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohammad Sayeed before his funeral prayers in Srinagar on January 7, 2016. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, chief minister of India’s restive Kashmir region and one of the country’s best-known Muslim politicians, died on December 7, an official said. The 79-year-old, whose party is in a controversial coalition with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party in the Himalayan region, is likely to be succeeded as chief minister by his daughter.

Indian activists from the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protest on the roadside in Jalandhar on January 22, 2016. The group argues people should not buy animals from breeders when millions of homeless dogs and cats live on the streets and in shelters.

Indian sadhus offer blessings to Hindu devotees at a temporary camp on Gangasagar Island, around 150 km south of Kolkata, on January 13, 2016. More than 500,000 Hindu pilgrims and sadhus are expected to gather at the confluence of the River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal during the Gangasagar Mela to take a ‘holy dip’ in the ocean on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a holy day of the Hindu calendar considered to be of great religious significance in Hindu mythology.

A train passes in dense fog at a railway station in Amritsar on January 14, 2016. Fog and low temperatures are common during the winter months in northern India.

Indian Sikh devotees pay respects on the occasion of Maghi Mela during dense fog at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on January 14, 2016. Maghi Mela follows the Lohri or harvest festival and commemorates fighters in the Battle of Khidrana fought between Mughal army and the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh Ji.

An Indian sadhu smokes cannabis at his temporary camp on Gangasagar Island, around 150 km south of Kolkata, on January 13, 2016. More than 500,000 Hindu pilgrims and sadhus are expected to gather at the confluence of the River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal during the Gangasagar Mela to take a ‘holy dip’ in the ocean on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a holy day of the Hindu calendar considered to be of great religious significance in Hindu mythology.

Indian villagers take part in a community fishing event during the Bhogali Bihu celebrations at Goroimari Lake in Panbari, some 50 kms from Guwahati, on January 14, 2016. Bhogali Bihu is a harvest festival celebrated in India’s northeastern Assam state which starts on January 14.

Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers at a temple on Gangasagar Island around 150 km south of Kolkata on January 14, 2016. More than 500,000 Hindu pilgrims and sadhus – holy men – are expected to gather at the confluence of the River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal during the Gangasagar Mela to take a ‘holy dip’ in the ocean on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a holy day of the Hindu calendar considered to be of great religious significance in Hindu mythology.

Indian Hindu Devotees arrive to take a holy bath and perform rituals at the Gangasagar Island, some 150 kms south of Kolkata, on January 14, 2016. More than 500,000 Hindu pilgrims and sadhus – holy men – are expected to gather at the confluence of the River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal during the Gangasagar Mela to take a ‘holy dip’ in the ocean on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a holy day of the Hindu calendar considered to be of great religious significance in Hindu mythology.

Indian villagers take part in a community fishing event at Goroimari Lake in Panbari, some 50 kms from Guwahati, on January 14, 2016.

Indian models showcase creations by Manish Malhotra during the ‘Regal Threads’ charity fashion show in Mumbai on late January 14, 2016.

Indian Hindu devotees prepare a traditional sweet dish on open fires during an event to mark Pongal in Mumbai on January 15, 2016. Pongal, which coincides with the Hindu festival Makara Sankranthi, is a thanksgiving and harvest celebrated throughout India and specifically by those from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The Indian Army’s Garwhal Rifles contingent marches during the Army Day parade in New Delhi on January 15, 2016. The Indian army celebrated the 67th anniversary of the formation of its national army with soldiers from various regiments and artillery taking part in a parade.

Indian security personell watch wrestlers in action during the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Live India Tour in New Delhi. Enthusiastic fans flocked to the event as WWE returned to the country after an interval of 13 years.

Indian Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan walks as showstopper for designer Vikram Phadnis’s (3R) 25 years completion in the fashion industry in Mumbai on January 16, 2016.

Hindu devotees take a holy dip and perform rituals at Gangasagar Island, around 150 km south of Kolkata on January 15, 2016.

Nomadic shepherd from Rajasthan herd their sheep at a camp on the outskirts of New Delhi on January 20, 2016. These shepherds still cling on to pastoral nomadic life, trekking long distances in search of pasture for their sheep.

Kashmiri villagers attend the funeral for suspected rebel Shariq Ahmed Bhat at Bandana village of Pulwama district, south of Srinagar, on January 20, 2016. A civilian protester and a suspected militant were killed in clashes with government forces on January 20 in Kashmir.

A Kashmiri Muslim devotee offer prayers as a priest displays a relic at the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Geelani in Srinagar on January 22, 2016. Devotees are marking the Urs (Festival) of the saint who lived in Baghdad some 1,000 years ago and is buried there. Kashmiri Muslims hold the saint in high esteem and have set up scores of shrines and mosques in his memory.

An Indian Army personnel looks through the barrel of a rocket launcher at the display of arms and equipment at the Bison Polo Ground in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, on January 23, 2016.

French President Francois Hollande (C) walks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (3rd R) during their visit to the Capitole complex in Chandigarh on January 24, 2016. Hollande is invited to India to be the guest of honour at this year’s Republic Day parade on January 26, the final day of a state visit that is expected to focus on trade and security.

Indian schoolchildren hold national flags during an event to celebrate the country’s Republic Day in Mumbai on January 26, 2016. Celebrations are underway across India as the country marks its 67th Republic Day.

The Indian Border Security Force marching contingent ride camels during India’s Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 26, 2016. Thousands gathered in New Delhi amid tight security January 26 for India’s annual Republic Day parade, a pomp-filled spectacle of military might featuring camels and daredevil stuntwomen, with French President Francois Hollande the chief guest.

Indian Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel march during a parade to mark during Republic Day celebrations in Secunderabad on January 26, 2016. Celebrations are underway across India, as the country marks its 67th Republic Day.

Indian government are seen lit up by lights during the Beating Retreat ceremony in New Delhi on January 29, 2016. The ceremony is a culmination of Republic Day celebrations and dates back to the days when troops disengaged themselves from battle at sunset.

Kashmiri Muslims offer prayers as an unseen clergyman displays a relic at the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Geelani in Srinagar on January 29, 2016. Devotees are marking the last Friday of Urs (Festival) of the saint who lived in Baghdad some 1,000 years ago and is buried there. Kashmiri Muslims hold the saint in high esteem and have set up scores of shrines and mosques in his memory.

Onlookers gather around a 23 feet dead whale washed ashore at the Juhu Chowpatty in Mumbai on January 29, 2016.

Indian gay rights activists celebrate after the country’s Supreme Court agreed to review a decision which criminalises gay sex in New Delhi on February 2, 2016. India’s top court agreed to review a decision which criminalises gay sex, sparking hope among campaigners that the colonial-era law will eventually be overturned in the world’s biggest democracy.

An Indian student with his face painted as a tiger interacts with his classmates as he awaits for the judgement of a face painting competition at the Kids for Tigers Annual Tiger Fest in Mumbai on February 4, 2016. The annual fest in its 15th year aims to bring out the vital connection between the survival of the tiger and the ecological security of the Indian subcontinent. Through ‘edutainment’ workshops, tiger fests, nature walks, film shows and tiger information kits, Kids for Tigers seeks to increase awareness among children about India’s biodiversity and sensitize them to the fact that saving tigers and their forests will also secure our water supply and help save ourselves.

An Indian Sadhu smokes alocal cigarette or ‘Bidi’ after performing evening prayers at Sangam, the confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati during the annual Magh Mela festival in Allahabad on February 4, 2016.

Indian Hindu devotees gather on the bank of River Ganges to take a holy dip to mark “Mauni Amavasya” during the annual Magh Mela festival in Allahabad on February 8, 2016.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during part of the opening ceremony of ‘Make in India Week’ in Mumbai on February 13, 2016. Over 190 companies, and 5,000 delegates from 60 countries, are taking part in the first ‘Make in India Week’ to be held in Mumbai from February 13-18.

Models showcase creations at the ‘Weaves of Banaras’ fashion show on the sidelines of ‘Make in India Week’ in Mumbai on February 14, 2016. AFP PHOTO / AFP PHOTO / STR

Visitors walk past a sculpture of the mascot of the ‘Make in India Week’ in Mumbai on February 14, 2016. Over 190 companies, and 5,000 delegates from 60 countries, are taking part in the first ‘Make in India Week’ to be held in Mumbai from February 13-18. AFP PHOTO / INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP PHOTO / INDRANIL MUKHERJEE

Participants leave an arena after a fire broke out during an event held as part of the ‘Make in India Week’ in Mumbai on February 14, 2016. A huge fire gutted a stage hosting a cultural event in Mumbai that was part of the Indian government’s much-trailed ‘Make in India’ week on February 14. AFP PHOTO / STR / AFP PHOTO / STR

An Indian student wears a mask with a photo of Bhagat Singh, an Indian revolutionary socialist who was influential in the Indian independence movement, as they shout slogans and protest against the arrest of an Indian student for sedition in New Delhi on February 18, 2016. Thousands of people rallied in New Delhi on February 18 to protest against the arrest of an Indian student for sedition, as a bitter row over freedom of speech spilled into the capital’s streets.

A Chinese artist from the Gansu Province Acrobatic Troupe performing in New Delhi. The Chinese acrobatic show was organised by the Chinese embassy to mark the “China-India Tourism Year 2016” and to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

A general view of the Indian Parliament building during the opening of the budget session in New Delhi on February 23, 2016. The session began with the general budget to be tabled on February 29.

An Indian protester wearing black facepaint walks alongside students and activists during a protest in New Delhi on February 23, 2016. Students from different Indian universities are taking part in rallies in the Indian capital following the death of Hyderabad University Dalit scholar, Rohit Vemula, 26, who allegedly committed suicide on January 17, after authorities suspended him and five of his friends over a tiff with a right-wing student political group.

Activists from the right-wing student organisation Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) drinks water during a protest against students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), following arrests of student leaders over alleged seditious activity, in New Delhi on February 24, 2016. Indian police said February 24 they had arrested two students wanted in a sedition case that has sparked major protests after the pair gave themselves up following nearly two weeks on the run. AFP PHOTO / Prakash SINGH / AFP PHOTO / PRAKASH SINGH

An Indian “sadhu” (Hindu holy man) holds onto a cow during a protest against the killing of cows and in favour of honouring them during a protest in New Delhi on February 28, 2016. The organisation has demanded that the Indian government to declare cows as the “Mother of the Nation”, and to protect them as symbols of religious faith for millions of Hindus.

An Indian sadhu walks past a vehicle bearing the images of Indian Hindu deities in Allahabad on March 6, 2016.

Indian forest official carry the body of a female tiger into a building to undergo a post-mortem examination at the Nagaland Forest office in Dimapur in the north-eastern state of Nagaland on March 1, 2016. A tigress was killed by villagers at Medzhiphema village on the outskirts of Dimapur on February 29, after allegedly attacking a villager and raiding livestock, before being handed over to forestry officials for examination.

Young Indian Hindu devotees dressed as Hindu deities take part in a procession during the Maha Shivaratri festival in Amritsar on March 7, 2016. The festival of Maha Shivaratri is marked by Hindus through fasting and offering prayers in a night-long vigil.

Asiatic Lion ‘Ambar’ sits inside his open enclosure at The Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad on March 9, 2016. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are scheduled to visit ‘Land of the Lions’ on March 17, at London Zoo, where Her Majesty will officially open the hugely anticipated exhibit which will allow the public to get closer than ever before to rare Asiatic lions. Currently only 500 Asiatic Lions remain in the wild in the Gir Forest of Western India’s Gujarat state which is their natural habitat.

A view of the 16-kilometer-long test tracks, with 45 different surfaces, at auto giant Hero’s new “Centre of Innovation and Technology”(CIT) facilities on the outskirts of Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan on March 10, 2016. Auto giant Hero unveiled a new $125 million design centre in India on March 10, complete with 10 miles (16 kilometres) of test track and giant 3D printers, as it seeks to cement its status as the world’s top-selling motorbike manufacturer.

An Indian bride waits during a mass-marriage ceremony at a local temple in the old quarters of New Delhi on March 10, 2016. Fourteen couples tied the knot during the marriage ceremony. Mass marriage ceremonies in India are organised by social groups to help those who cannot afford the traditionally large marriage events.

Activists from NGO People for Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA)pose painted in green hold “Go Green” placards in Bangalore on March 16, 2016, as they take part in a campaign urging members of the public to become vegetarian ahead of St Patrick’s Day.

A model presents a creation by Indian fashion designer Varun Bahl during the Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2016 in New Delhi on March 16, 2016.

Delegates listens to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech during the inauguration of World Sufi Forum in New Delhi on March 17, 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated World Sufi Forum, a four-day long event organised by All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), the apex body of Sufi Dargahs in India.The event will see more than 200 Indian and International delegates, spiritual leaders, scholars, academicians and masters of Sufism, under one roof.

Indian neighbours Sharda (L), 45, Sopa (C), 52, and Kosholi, 50, talk on steps outside their homes in Jodhpur on March 18, 2016. Rajasthan’s ‘Blue City’ Jodhpur is famed for the blue-painted walls of the old city that sits in the shadow of the Mehrangarh Fort. Used to denote Brahmin, or upper-caste, households, discouraging looters if the city ever came under attack, many of Jodhpur’s buildings retain the traditional blue paintwork that has come to signify the city.

Indian Air Force(IAF)”Garuda” commandos descend from a transport aircraft during IAF Exercise Iron Fist 2016 at Pokhran in the western Indian state of Rajasthan on March 18, 2016.

Pots used to store water sit on a wall alongside a makeshift stall in the old quarters of the Indian city of Jodhpur on March 18, 2016. Rajasthan’s ‘Blue City’ Jodhpur is famed for the blue-painted walls of the old city that sits in the shadow of the Mehrangarh Fort. Used to denote Brahmin, or upper-caste, households, discouraging looters if the city ever came under attack, many of Jodhpur’s buildings retain the traditional blue paintwork that has come to signify the city.

Indian women from the north Indian village Nandgaon use large sticks to hit men holding shields as they participate in the celebrations of Lathmaar Holi on March 18, 2016.

A bald Indian villager his head smeared with coloured powder, stands during the Lathmar Holi celebrations in the village of Nandgaon on March 18, 2016. Holi, also called the Festival of Colours, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month.

Indian revellers covered in coloured powder sit inside a temple during prayers held as part of the Lathmar Holi celebrations in the village of Nandgaon on March 18, 2016.

Indian Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala (centre R) showcases a creation during a charity fashion show in Mumbai on late March 20, 2016.

Indian bowler Ravindra Jadeja gestures as he makes an appeal during the World T20 cricket tournament match between India and Bangladesh at The Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on March 23, 2016. Bangladesh is chasing a target of 146 runs scored by India with a loss of 7 wickets.

A group of Indian women, coloured after playing Holi, look at a cow during the Holi Festival in Jaisalmer on March 24, 2016.

Indian residents take part in Holi celebrations in Chennai on March 24, 2016 The Hindu festival of Holi, or the ‘Festival of Colours’ heralds the arrival of spring and the end of winter.

An Indian reveller covered in coloured powder looks on during the Holi Festival in Jaisalmer on March 24, 2016.

Indian Catholic devotees re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during a ‘passion play’ tableau at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Hyderabad on March 25, 2016. Passion plays, a dramatic presentation depicting the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, are an integral part of Good Friday celebrations for Catholics.

Sikh devotees take part in a procession from the Golden Temple to Sri Akal Takhat Sahib in Amritsar on March 24, 2016, to mark “Hola Mohalla”. Hola Mohalla is a three day Sikh festival, in which Nihang Sikh ‘warriors’ perform Gatka (mock encounters with real weapons), tent pegging and bareback horse-riding, following the Hindu festival of Holi. / AFP PHOTO / NARINDER NANU

Kashmiri college students visit the Tulip Garden in Srinagar on March 29, 2016. Containing some 1.2 million tulip bulbs, official say the garden is Asia’s largest, spread over 12 hectares. The garden was first opened for tourists in 2008 and stays open for over a month every spring.

A model showcases a creation by Gen Next on the first day of Lakme Fashion Week Summer 2016 in Mumbai on March 30, 2016.

Indian rescue workers and volunteers try to free people trapped under the wreckage of a collapsed flyover bridge in Kolkata on March 31, 2016. At least 14 people were killed and dozens more injured when a flyover collapsed in a busy Indian city on March 31, an official said, as emergency workers battled to rescue people trapped under the rubble.

Indian Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha showcases a creation by designer Anita Dongre on the third day of Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2016 in Mumbai on April 1, 2016.

An Indian laundry worker washes clothes next to the polluted Adyar river in Chennai on April 1, 2016.

Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar looks on as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) and Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge play a game of cricket with Indian children who are beneficiaries of NGO’s at The Oval Maidan in Mumbai on April 10, 2016.

Britain’s Prince William (R) and his wife Catherine visit the historic Banganga water tank in Mumbai on April 10, 2016.

A Muslim Khawateen Markaz activist burns portraits of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest in Srinagar on April 19, 2016. The activists on April 19 demonstrated against the recent deaths of five people after troops fired on protesters incensed by the alleged molestation of a girl by a soldier in Indian-administered Kashmir.

An Indian labourer plants paddy saplings at a field in Vaiyavur village near Chennai on April 20, 2016.

Dutee Chand of Odisha poses with her winning medal after victory in the 100 metre race during 20th Federation Cup National Senior Athletics Championship in New Delhi on April 28, 2016.

Indian Bollywood actors Karan Singh Grover (L) and Bipasha Basu pose for a photograph during their mehendi marriage ceremony in Mumbai on April 29, 2016.

An Indian farmer spreads maize husks to dry in a field in Morigaon district, some 70kms east of Guwahati on April 30, 2016. Maize is India’s third most important cash crop after wheat and rice.

Aircraft from Britain’s Global Stars Aerobatic team perform a display routine as they take part in the second day of a three day airshow in Ahmedabad on April 30, 2016.

In this handout photograph released by The Indian Navy on May 1, 2016, India’s Scorpene Class Submarine ‘Kalivari’ takes part in its maiden sea trials off the coast of Mumbai on May 1, 2016.

An aircraft from Britain’s Global Stars Aerobatic team performs a display routine on the final day of a three day airshow in Ahmedabad on May 1, 2016.

Indian commuters travel through a traffic jam on their way to New Delhi from Gurgaon. The twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22), the annual round of UN climate talks, will be held in Marrakech, from November 7 until November 18, 2016.

An Indian fisherman prepares a fishing net at the roadside at Visakhapatnam on May 14, 2016.

An Indian supporter of the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party M. Karunanithi holds a badge bearing his image during an election rally in Chennai on May 14, 2016. State assembly elections are due to take place in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on May 16.

Cheerleaders dance during the 2016 Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad at The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on May 15, 2016.

A roadside vendor arranges images of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) leader Jayalalithaa Jayaram at the party office in Chennai on May 19, 2016. The makeup of India’s next government could lie in the hands of a trio of women who command a massive following in their regional heartlands, including a populist former movie star known as “Mother” to supporters.

Indian Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters celebrate victory in the West Bengal state assembly elections in Kolkata on May 19, 2016. Vote-counting is takaing place following state assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry. The makeup of India’s next government could lie in the hands of a trio of women who command a massive following in their regional heartlands, including a populist former movie star known as “Mother” to supporters.

An Indian white tiger cools off in a pond in its enclosure at Chhat Bir Zoo on the outskirts of Chandigarh on May 22, 2016. Temperatures have soared to a scorching 51 degrees Celsius in one Indian city, meteorologists said, with the ferocious heat setting a new national record. Northern Phalodi wilted as the mercury reached a new high on May 20, equivalent to 123.8 Fahrenheit, beating a 60-year-old record.

This handout photograph taken and released by The Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO)on May 23, 2016, shows a scale version of a “Reusable Launch Vehicle” or RLV-TD as it is launched from Sriharikota on the south-east coast of India. India successfully has launched its first mini space shuttle as New Delhi’s famously frugal space agency joined the global race to make rockets as reusable as airplanes. The shuttle was reportedly developed on a budget of just one billion rupees ($14 million), a fraction of the billions of dollars spent by other nations’ space programmes.

Indian children take a dip in a pond to escape the afternoon heat in New Delhi on May 22, 2016. The Indian Meterological Department issued warnings of “severe heat wave” conditions across large parts of India’s north and west, including the capital Delhi, where temperatures hit 47 degrees Celsius earlier this week.

Tourist boats stand on a dried out portion of wetlands at Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, some 70kms from Ahmedabad on May 29, 2016. Migratory flamingoes are being encouraged to stay at the wetlands in the western state of Gujarat as the locating of shoals of fish which form the diet of the flamingos, is made easier with the falling levels of water which are the result of drought conditions which are prevailing across northern India.

A cricket fan dressed as Hindu God Rama, cheers for his team prior to the start of the final Twenty20 cricket match of the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad at The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on May 29, 2016.

Kashmiri woman rowing a boat carrying a lotus roots for cattles through the polluted waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar on June 3,2016. Dal lake has shrunk from 25.86 square kilometers to 20.16 square kms during the past two decades becoming a cause of concern for the environmentalists. Many NGO’s have blamed that the state government has failed miserably in controlling the growth of dangerous weed that is eating up the world famous water body.

Indian Dal Khalsa Sikh organisation activists hold flags and placards during a protest march ahead of the 32nd anniversary of Operation Blue Star in Amritsar on June 3, 2016. The Indian military’s 1984 assault on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, called Operation Blue Star, was aimed at flushing out militants holed up inside demanding an independent Sikh homeland. The struggle culminated in the deadly storming of the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s holiest shrine.

An Indian model displays a dimond necklace valued at approximately $18,000 during a wedding expo in Chennai on June 4, 2016.

Reflection of the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier at India Gate is seen in a pond in New Delhi on June 4, 2016.

An Indian Border Security Force soldier (BSF) walks over rose petals at a memorial for those killed in conflict following a wreath-laying ceremony for three colleagues at the BSF headquarters in Srinagar on June 4, 2016. Suspected militants ambushed a Border Security Force (BSF) vehicle in Bijbehara, south of Srinagar, on June 3, killing three soldiers and injuring three others.

Indian fishermen unload baskets of fish from boats at a harbour in Chennai on June 5, 2016, as fishermen return with their catch after a 45-day fishing ban on the east coast of India. Authorities in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu had imposed a 45-day ban on fishing by mechanised vessels to protect marine life, with only ‘country boats’ operating within five nautical miles off the coast.

Balbir Singh Seechewal (C) and his Sikh followers clean up the Kali Bein canal in Kapurthala on June 4, 2016. Singh is popularly known as the “eco-baba” in India due to various efforts to conserve the environment.

Indian boxer Vijender Singh (L) and Australia’s Kerry Hope face off during an event in New Delhi on June 6, 2016. Olympic bronze medallist Singh, who turned pro last year, is gearing up for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) – Asian Middleweight title bout against Australia’s Kerry Hope in New Delhi on July 16.

In this photograph taken on June 3, 2016, Indian tea plantation workers pick leaves in a tea garden in Kaziranga, some 250kms east of Guwahati. Analysts say that the recent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state election victory in Assam, an ethnically diverse state with a large Muslim minority where the BJP’s brand of religious nationalism had previously held little sway, is a sign that the party is becoming a truly national force.

India’s central bank – Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan walks after addressing a press conference following a monetary policy review meeting in Mumbai on June 7, 2016.

In this photograph taken on June 4, 2016, Indian dhobiwallahs or washermen do laundry on the banks of the River Bhramaputra in Guwahati. By the time the working day begins in northeast India on the longest day of the year, the sun is already high in the sky and the heat is nearing its peak — because clocks across the vast country are set to the same hour.

A Indian girl holds an umbrella as she sits on a bicycle while crossing a road during heavy rain in Chennai on June 8, 2016.

Indian yoga practitioners participate in a rehearsal for International Yoga Day on Rajpath in New Delhi on June 19, 2016. The ancient Indian practice of yoga is celebrated every year on June 21 as International Day of Yoga.

An African-American visitor poses for a selfie photograph with the statue of Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi at the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad on June 19, 2016.

A kashmiri protestor holds stones in his hand during clashes in downtown Srinagar on June 24, 2016. Police fired tear smoke shells and rubber bullets to disperse Kashmiri Muslim men protesting against Indian rule after June 24, 2016 congregation prayers near the main Jamia Masjid mosque. Several rebel groups have for decades been fighting Indian forces deployed in the region, seeking independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.

Indian activists of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community take part in a pride parade calling for freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, in Gurugram, some 30 km southwest of New Delhi, on June 25, 2016.

An Indian monkey sits on its wrangler’s shoulders in a river on the outskirts of Amritsar on June 26, 2016.

Indian members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community take part in a pride parade, calling for freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, in Chennai on June 26, 2016.

Indian girl children sort through roses for sale during rain showers in Mumbai on June 28, 2016. Annual monsoon rains have progressed to most parts of western and central India, easing fears of millions of desperate farmers after two straight years of drought, the weather department said.

A hair style fashioned by an Indian professional hair stylist is pictured at the 7th International Beauty and Spa Expo in New Delhi on June 28, 2016. The expo is billed as India’s largest beauty products trade show.

A Kashmiri Muslim prays during the last day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Shah-i-Hamdaan shrine in Srinagar on July 5, 2016, as Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Indian Muslims offer Eid prayers on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr festival which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan at the Kharudin Mosque in Amritsar on July 7, 2016. The three-day festival, which begins after the sighting of a new crescent moon, marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan during which devout Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk.

Kashmiri protestors clash with Indian police in Srinagar on July 10, 2016. The death toll from unrest in Indian-administered Kashmir climbed to 15 July 10, officials said, despite authorities imposing a harsher curfew on the restive territory in a bid to prevent new demonstrations. One protestor was killed on July 10 when government forces fired on angry residents who defied the restrictions in the southern Pulwama area, and six died in different hospitals overnight after suffering gunshot wounds on July 9, a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

An Indian youth jumps into the flooded river Ganges in Allahabad on July 15, 2016. Water levels in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers have risen after seasonal monsoon rainfall.

A model presents a creation by Indian fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani during the FDCI India Couture week 2016 in New Delhi on July 21, 2016.

A fan of Indian Bollywood star Rajinikanth displays body paint with a portrait of the actor on the first day of release of his new Tamil-language film “Kabali” in Bangalore on July 22, 2016. Fans of the wildly popular Indian film star Rajinikanth queued overnight for a 4am screening of his eagerly awaited new movie on July 22 in the southern city of Chennai, where many companies gave up all hope of staff showing up for work and closed for the day. Rajinikanth famously worked as a bus conductor in the southern Indian city of Bangalore before heading to Chennai in 1973 to pursue his passion of acting.

Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev (L) and members of the Indian Parliamentarian team play during a charitable football match between Indian Bollywood actors and Indian Parliamentarians in New Delhi on July 24, 2016. The football match is an attempt to raise awarness for two flagship initiatives by Prime Minister Narender Modi, the ‘Clean India’ campaign and a female empowerment programme.

An Indian vegetable seller wades through floodwaters in Siliguri on July 24, 2016. Continuous rainfall has caused flooding and landslides in parts of Siliguri and surrounding areas, affecting road travel and daily life.

Indian children sit on the roof of a home submerged in flood waters in Batahidia on the Brahmaputra River in South Kamrup, southwest of Guwahati, on July 27, 2016.

Indian Hindu devotees of the deity Shiva cross a railway track at Daraganj railway station as they arrive to collect water from the Ganges river for their ritualistic walk towards Varanasi during the holy month of Shravan, in Allahabad on July 28, 2016. Shravan is considered the holiest month in the Hindu calendar with many religious festivals and ceremonies.

Indian Hindu devotees of the deity Shiva perform a ritual after collecting water from the Ganges river for their ritualistic walk towards Varanasi during the holy month of Shravan, in Allahabad on July 28, 2016. Shravan is considered the holiest month in the Hindu calendar with many religious festivals and ceremonies.

An Indian fan of Harry Potter, dressed as the young wizard, poses for a photograph after picking up a copy of J.K. Rowling’s latest book “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ on the day of its launch at a book store, in Bangalore on July 31, 2016.

Kashmiri Muslims offer funeral prayers in absentia for the civilians who have been killed during ongoing unrest, in downtown Srinagar on July 31, 2016 More than 50 people have been killed and thousands injured in weeks of unrest in Indian-administered Kashmir, sparked by the death on July 8 of popular rebel commander Burhan Wani in a firefight with government forces.

Indian commuters and their vehicles stand in a traffic jam in New Delhi on August 1, 2016.

on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Arena on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

An Indian college student, has her face painted with emblem of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, in Chennai on August 4, 2016, in an event to wish the Indian contingent good luck ahead of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics which is scheduled to begin on August 5, 2016.

In this photograph taken on August 9, 2016, an Indian boy takes a photograph of the Olympics rings during a live screening of the Rio 2016 Olympics at a park in New Delhi. Around a giant screen showing the Olympics in a central New Delhi park, young Indians chat, take selfies or snooze in the late afternoon heat, glancing only occasionally at the heroic sporting feats on display. India is the world’s second most populous country and has ambitions to become a global superpower. But when it comes to the Olympics it remains a minnow — a status matched by the public’s supreme indifference to the Games.

Indian schoolchildren wear tricolour bangles as they pose in a circle while performing during Indian Independence Day celebrations at South Central Railway Grounds in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad on August 15, 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India was becoming the world’s most attractive destination for foreign investors, using his annual Independence Day speech to trumpet sweeping tax reforms designed to spur growth. In an address from Delhi’s 17th-century Red Fort, Modi sought to highlight his government’s achievements, including the recent passage of a landmark tax reform, that have contributed to India’s robust growth during a global slowdown.

A Indian Hindu Brahmin community holds a newly worn sacred thread they wear across their bodies as they perform an annual ritual on the occasion of ‘Aavani Avittam’ in Chennai on August 18,2016. Members of the Hindu Brahmin community change the sacred thread they wear across their bodies as part of ritual of ‘Aavani Avittam’

Pedestrians walk during sunset after a heavy rainfall in the northern hill town of Shimla on August 18, 2016.

Indian Hindu devotees take a tumble while forming a ‘human pyramid’ during the dahi handi (curd pot) celebrations of Janmashtami, which mark the birth of Hindu god Lord Krishna, in Mumbai on August 25, 2016. India’s top court on August 17, 2016, has banned children from taking part in a popular but potentially dangerous religious festival in the country’s west that sees young boys scale human pyramids. The Supreme Court barred children aged under 18 from scaling the pyramids and restricted their height to 20 feet (six metres) following a string of accidents in recent years.

Indian actor and classical dancer Shobana performs a dance drama ‘Krishna’ on occasion of ‘Krishna Janmashtami’ celebrations in Chennai on August 25, 2016. The birthday of Indian Hindu God Krishna is celebrated as’Krishna Janmashtami’ by Hindus across the world.

Indian Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan showcases a creation by designer Sabyasachi at Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Winter/Festive 2016 in Mumbai on late August 28, 2016.

An Indian artist gives the final touches to a statue of the Hindu god Lord Ganesh ahead of the forthcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival at a workshop in Hyderabad on August 29, 2016. The statues are being prepared for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival a popular eleven-day long Hindu religious festival in India which will be celebrated from September 5 to 15.

Indian bystanders look on as Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) satellite INSAT-3DR, on board the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F05) launches from Sriharikota on September 8, 2016.

Volunteers are lowered on a platform with large idols of Hindu elephant-headed god Ganesh brought by Hindu devotees for immersion at a water tank during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Bangalore on September 7, 2016.

An Indian Kathakali artist prepares backstage for his performance during a cultural festival at Kalakshetra Art Village in Chennai on September 7, 2016.

An Indian activist stands beside a traffic blockade at a major connecting road during a statewide strike in Bangalore on September 9, 2016. Agitation in the southern Indian state of Karnataka has been increasing since the recent Supreme Court order to the state to release of 15,000 cusecs of water from the River Cauvery each day to the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. Karnataka is facing an acute shortage of water in its reservoirs, and rivers as the state has only received subpar rainfall in the catchment areas leading to protests by farmers and pro-Kannada organisations refusing to share water with its neighbouring state.

Oarsmen row a serpentine boat in unison as they compete in the Mahatma Boat Race at Pamba River, ahead of Onam celebrations at Chengannur, near the Allepey district of southern Kerala state on September 12,2016.

Indian Congress Party vice president, Rahul Gandhi (L) is showered with rose petals during a roadshow in Allahabad on September 15, 2016, ahead of the 2017 Uttar Pradesh State Assembly elections.

The Naro palace is seen during the Naropa festival, popularly known as the ‘Kumbh Mela of the Himalaya’, a Buddhist gathering that takes place once every twelve years at Hemis village in Leh. Hundreds of thousands of villagers, monks and tourists flocked to India’s mountainous region of Ladakh for a Buddhist celebration held once in 12 years, popularly known as the ‘Kumbh Mela of the Himalayas’.

In this photograph taken on September 16, 2016, a Buddhist devotee looks on during the Naropa festival, popularly known as the ‘Kumbh Mela of the Himalaya’, a Buddhist gathering that takes place once every twelve years at Hemis village in Leh. Hundreds of thousands of villagers, monks and tourists flocked to India’s mountainous region of Ladakh for a Buddhist celebration held once in 12 years, popularly known as the ‘Kumbh Mela of the Himalayas’. / AFP PHOTO / MONEY SHARMA

Indian devotees carry a statue of elephant-headed Hindu god Lord Ganesha for immersion in the Arabian sea in Mumbai on September 15, 2016. During the eleven-day Ganesh Festival Hindu devotees bring home idols of Lord Ganesha and offer prayers in temporary temples in order to invoke his blessings for wisdom and prosperity, culminating with the immersion of the idols in bodies of water, including the ocean on the last day.

Indian right-wing activists burn an effigy of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a protest against Pakistan, in New Delhi on September 19, 2016. India on September 19 weighed its response to a bloody raid on an army base in Kashmir which fuelled tensions with nuclear-armed Pakistan, as some politicians called for military action after the worst attack of its kind in over a decade. New Delhi has said that Pakistan-based militants were behind the September 18 attack in which 17 soldiers were killed, raising the prospect of a military escalation in the already tense disputed Himalayan region.

India’s captain Virat Kohli reacts after an unsuccessfull catch appeal for the wicket of New Zealand’s Tom Latham during the second day of the first Test match between India and New Zealand at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on September 23, 2016.

Indian folk dancers from the Panghat Group of Performing Arts pose for a photograph during a dress rehearsal for an event to mark the forthcoming Hindu festival ‘Navaratri’, or the Festival of Nine Nights, in Ahmedabad on September 25, 2016. The Navaratri festival begins on October 1.

Indian Roman Catholic nuns from the Missionaries of Charity prepare to take part in a walk to commemorate the life of Saint Teresa of Kolkata in Kolkata on September 25, 2016. The event was organised by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Culcutta and the Missionaries of Charity to celebrate the life of Saint Teresa of Kolkata.

Indian traditional wrestlers, called Pehlwans, challenge each other during a traditional wrestling competition called Kushti in Amritsar on October 9, 2016. Kushti is popular in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and was developed in the Mughal era by combining native ‘malla-yuddha’ wrestling with Persian ‘pahlavani’.

Indian people sit on a ride at fair ground in Amritsar on October 11, 2016.

A clay idol of goddess Durga floats after being immersed by Hindu devotees in the Mahananda river in Siliguri on October 11, 2016, at the end of the Durga Puja festival. Durga Puja commemorates the slaying of demon king Mahishasur by goddess Durga, marking the triumph of good over evil.

Indian Muslims throng around a colourful Tazia during a procession to mark Ashura, in Ahmedabad. Devout Shiite Muslims the world over, observe Ashura rituals by beating their chests, self-flagellation, forming large processions through the streets holding banners and carrying models of the mausoleum of Hazrat Imam Hussain.