Mera, 19 years old, is readying herself for her wedding, an Arranged Marriage. She has never seen her husband. An arranged marriage is where the bride and groom are selected by their families, rather than by each other and still very common in India. The price to pay to the groom’s family was 50.000 roepies in cash and the total cost was 300.000 roepies. Varanasi, India. ©Ingetje Tadros

Wrestlers training in a gym (Akhara) behind Assi Ghat in Varanasi. When I was in Varanasi there where no wrestling competitions but I was happy to spent some time watching the man practise and train. Traditional Indian wrestling is not just a sport, it's an ancient subculture where wrestlers live and train together and follow strict rules on everything, from what they can eat to what they can do in their spare time. Drinking, smoking and even sex are off limits. The focus is on living a pure life, building strength and honing their wrestling skills. Varanasi, India 2013 ©Ingetje Tadros

The best way to discover is to walk through Jew Street and it's narrow lanes, where you will find buildings over a 100 yrs old which are still being used as Spice Warehouses and where people work in dark buildings selecting and sorting out all sort of spices and where owners are sitting behind scales surrounded by sacks of spices. Jew Street is one of the most famous streets in Fort Cochin and there was a time when practically every house in this street was owned by Jews. The architecture of the quiet streets is very European, with fine houses built by wealthy British and Dutch traders. Fort Cochin, Kerala, India 2013 ©Ingetje Tadros

In this Visnu Temple "Anant Vasudeva' there is still an active kitchen, where they prepare meals and sell outside this temple in the morning. Normally no tourists where allowed in this temple unless you are a Hindu, but my great guide managed to let me in and they gave me a 5 min. access! It was midday and people and pots full of lentils everywhere, but i managed to get a few shots. Bhubaneswar, Orissa,India. ©Ingetje Tadros

Millions of devotees from round the world visit this Hindu temple every year. Many men and women come here to shave of their hair as they have promised in their prayers, that if their problems will be solved, they will shave their head. The hair is collected and sold to tenders annually ~ it's big business! The hair usually ends up in America or Europe in the form of hair extensions or wigs! this is kind of the 'underbelly' of the process and not given much importance by devotees who are more interested in the act of sacrifice. A woman's hair is symbolic of her beauty & virtue. To sacrifice years of careful oiling, combing & shampooing is usually a once in a lifetime event brought on by high demands or expectations from the gods ... typically a son, but often young children are compelled to do this in leu of good health, a good husband or good grades! This is a practice you'll only find in Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. (text Clairne Prest from GrassRoutesJourneys http://grassroutesjourneys.blogspot.com/ Hair Offering in the Simhachalam Temple in Visakhapatnam,Andhra Pradesh,India. ©Ingetje Tadros

The Chinese fishing nets at the harbour of Fort Cochin are fixed land based installations for an unusual form of fishing. Huge mechanical contrivances hold out horizontal nets up to 20m or more across. Each structure is at least 10 m high and compromises a cantilever with an outstretched net suspended over the sea and large stones suspended from ropes as counterweight at the other end. Each installation is operated by a team of up to six fishermen. The system is sufficiently balanced that the weight of a man walking along the main beam is sufficient to cause the net to descend into the sea. The net is left for a short time, a few minutes, before it is raised by pulling on ropes. Rocks, each 30 cm or so in diameter are suspended from ropes of different lengths. As the net is raised, some of the rocks one by one come to rest on a platform thereby keeping everything in balance. The Chinese fishing nets have become a very popular tourist attraction. Fort Cochin, Kerala, India 2013 ©Ingetje Tadros

The Maha Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering on earth, it' a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus gather in the world's largest religious gathering and takes place every 12 years. Over 80 million people visited in 2013. Allahabad, India 2013 Unfortunately I was only able to visit one day, which was a quiet day and no bathing was scheduled but I am happy I've been there. ©Ingetje Tadros

To transform into graceful feminine dancers the boys do not cut their hair, instead they style it into a knot and weaving garlands of flowers into it. They make up their faces with mixed white and red powder. Kajal (black eyeliner) is broadly applied around the eyes to give them an elongated look. The bindi, usually round, is applied to the forehead, surrounded with a pattern made from sandalwood. Traditional paintings adorn the face, which are unique to each dance school. The costume has evolved over time. The traditional dress is a Kanchula, a brightly coloured blouse with shiny decorations. An apron-like, embroidered silk cloth (nibibandha) is tied around the waist like a ruffle and worn around the legs. Some dancers still adhere to tradition by wearing a pattasari: a piece of thin fabric about 4 metres (13 ft 1 in) long, worn tightly with equal lengths of material on both sides and a knot on the navel. However, this traditional dress is often replaced by a newly designed cloth which is easier to put on. Dancers wear specially designed, beaded jewellery: necklaces, bracelets, armbands and ear ornaments. Nose-piercing jewellery has been replaced with a painted motif. Ankle bells are worn, to accentuate the beats tapped out by the feet. The palms of the hands and soles of the feet are painted with a red liquid known as alta. The costume, jewellery and bells are considered sacred. Orissa, India ©Ingetje Tadros

Arambol has a distinct Bohemian feel which attracts many alternative travellers. Arambol Beach is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Goa, bordering Keri Beach to the north and Mandrem Beach to the south. ©Ingetje Tadros

Rishikesh is a city in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand, in the Himalayan foothills beside the Ganges River. The river is considered holy, and the city is renowned as a center for studying yoga and meditation. Temples and ashrams (centers for spiritual studies) line the eastern bank around Swarg Ashram, a traffic-free, alcohol-free and vegetarian enclave upstream from Rishikesh town. ©Ingetje Tadros

Various and unedited India. ©Ingetje Tadros