A devotee throws a clay idol of Hindu elephant-headed deity Ganesh into the sea on the third day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Chennai on August 24, 2020. (Photo by Arun Sankar/AFP Photo)
Volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organisation, take part in a route march on the outskirts of Chennai on April 16, 2023. (Photo by R.Satish Babu/AFP Photo)
Cadets prepare to take part in a full dress rehearsal for the upcoming Republic Day parade, in Chennai on January 24, 2024. (Photo by R. Satish Babu/AFP Photo)
Cadets of Tamilnadu Police perform an acrobatic stunt during a full dress rehearsal for the upcoming Republic Day Parade in Chennai on January 24, 2021. (Photo by Arun Sankar/Profimedia/AFP Photo)
A woman carries her son in a bucket after collecting water from a municipal water tanker on the outskirts of Chennai, India, July 4, 2019. (Photo by P. Ravikumar/Reuters)
College students dress in the guise of Hindu deities Krishna and Radha, ahead of Janmashtami festival, in Chennai on August 23, 2024. (Photo by R.Satish Babu/AFP Photo)
A student poses with her painted face, ahead of New Year celebrations at a college in Chennai on December 28, 2024. (Photo by R. Satish Babu/AFP Photo)