Members of the National Cadet Crops (NCC) shower flower petals during “Vijay Diwas” (Victory Day) celebration, in Bangalore, India, 16 December 2024. Vijay Diwas is celebrated in India on 16 December to mark the Indian victory in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. (Photo by Jagadeesh N.V./EPA)





A man walks past the Taj Mahal on a cold foggy morning in Agra on December 18, 2024. (Photo by Pawan Sharma/AFP Photo)





A man raises his hand as dust and smoke covers the air along a riverbank on a cold winter morning in New Delhi, India on December 18, 2024. (Photo by Priyanshu Singh/Reuters)





Trainee artisans, women, prepare a gabba, the traditional Kashmiri rag, inside a training center in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 18 December 2024. Many Kashmiri women artisans engage in colorful embroidery of gabba, the handmade Kashmiri winter rugs, crafted from wool or a blend of wool and cotton. This embroidery technique, passed down through generations, involves skilled women artisans employing a hooked needle to create patterns and motifs on the gabba’s surface. The traditional techniques employed in their creation not only preserve cultural heritage but also promote eco-friendly practices, resonating with contemporary sensibilities. (Photo by Farooq Khan/EPA/EFE)





A vendor arranges trinkets after opening her stall on a cold foggy morning near Sangam, the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj on December 18, 2024. (Photo by Money Sharma/AFP Photo)





Police officers detain India's main opposition Congress Party worker during a protest against Indian Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, December 19, 2024. (Photo by Ajit Solanki/AP Photo)





Muslim devotees offer Friday prayers at the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer on December 20, 2024. (Photo by Himanshu Sharma/AFP Photo)





People dressed as Santa Claus dance during an event as a part of Christmas celebrations in Chennai on December 22, 2024. (Photo by R.Satish Babu/AFP Photo)





A cotton candy seller strolls along a road in New Delhi on December 24, 2024. (Photo by Sajjad Hussain/AFP Photo)





Women shop for Christmas decorations at a roadside market in Ahmedabad, India, on December 24, 2024. (Photo by Amit Dave/Reuters)





A cyclist dressed as Santa Claus rides along a road, on Christmas in New Delhi on December 25, 2024. (Photo by Arun Sankar/AFP Photo)





An image taken with slow shutter speed shows Indian Christians attending the morning prayers on Christmas Day at the Infant Jesus Church in Bangalore, India, 25 December 2024. (Photo by Jagadeesh N.V./EPA/EFE)





An Indian woman wails as she with others offer tributes in remembrance of victims of the 2004 tsunami on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, at Marina Beach in Chennai, India, Thursday, December 26, 2024. (Photo by Mahesh Kumar A./AP Photo)





Women toss flowers into the waters of Marina Beach in remembrance of the 2004 tsunami victims, marking the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, in Chennai, India, December 26, 2024. (Photo by Mahesh Kumar A./AP Photo)





Hindu priests perform morning prayers on the banks of the Ganges river at Assi Ghat on a cold winter morning in Varanasi on December 27, 2024. (Photo by Niharika Kulkarni/AFP Photo)