Racing buffalo pulling plough at Kota Belud festival in November, Sabah, Malaysia, island of Borneo, Southeast Asia, Asia

View of man riding horse along road, taken from army checkpoint at remains of a Buddhist stupa, Top-I-Rustam, Balkh (Mother of Cities), Afghanistan, Asia

Man walking down mountain road, between Herat and Maimana, after Subzak Pass, Afghanistan, Asia

Man in canoe passing a house, floating fishing village of Chong Kneas, Tonle Sap lake, near Siem Reap, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice terraces in centre of the island, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Kavadis holding procession, Festival of Purification, Singapore, Asia

Hindu pilgrim with turban at Dashashwamedh Ghat in holy city of Varanasi, Benares, India

Indian man runs market stall in alleyway in the city of Varanasi, Benares, Northern India

Indian man walks past laundry drying on the steps of Kali Ghat by the The Ganges River in City of Varanasi, Benares, India

Man in shop selling traditional decorative items in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, Asia

Man carrying sack of ginger at a market in Fort Kochi (Cochin), Kerala, India, Asia

Street scene, Rajah Bazaar, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan, Asia

Buddhist monk, Mahagandayon Monastery, Amarapura, Mandalay Division, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Kyoto city, Honshu, Japan, Asia

Punnathur Kotta Elephant Fort housing 50 elephants and financed by the temples, Kerala state, India, Asia

Fruit stall, Delhi, India, Asia

Indian man in Old Delhi at Daryagang market, India

Buddhist monk passes prayer flags at Mulagandhakuti Vihara Temple at Sarnath near Varanasi, Benares, Northern India

Man and donkey at well, between Herat and Maimana, after Subzak pass, Afghanistan, Asia

Cyclists, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Portrait of a young Tibetan family, Lhasa, Tibet, China, Asia

Fisherman, Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Hell Camp, executive retraining, Japan, Asia

Monk worshipping, Kuthodaw Pagoda, Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Man sweeping, Friday Mosque or Masjet-eJam, Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Street food, Delhi, India, Asia

Indian Hindu man in the city of Varanasi, Benares, Northern India

Indian man runs market stall in alleyway in the city of Varanasi, Benares, Northern India

Man repairing an old sewing machine in the city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, Asia

Temple of the Sun, Konarak, Orissa state, India, Asia

Dancer in the Gong of Angklung Kocok, Ubud region, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Wayong orong, theatre performance, Puri Ambian Basse, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo, Japan, Asia

Fisherman, Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Man on donkey, between Chakhcharan and Jam, Afghanistan, Asia

Farmer with watering cans, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Sarod player, India, Asia

Typical backwater scene, where canals and rivers are used as roadways, Kerala state, India, Asia

Coconut seller riding his bicycle, Galle, Sri Lanka, Asia

Ann man carrying cane basket he is making, Ann Village, Kengtung (Kyaing Tong), Shan state, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Man holding child in ancient building fronting the famous Ghats by The Ganges River in Holy City of Varanasi, India

Nishikikoji covered street market, Kyoto, Japan, Asia

Man selling cucumbers from wheel barrow in street near war damaged building, Central Kabul, Afghanistan, Asia

Yellow public tram at Matsuyama, Nagasaki, island of Kyushu, Japan, Asia

Backwater near Mobor, Goa, India, Asia

Sacred horse, Taoist temple, Jade Emperor pagoda (Chua Phuoc Hai), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Chedi Chiang Lom at Wat Chiang Man Buddhist temple complex, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Policeman with bicycle, Kyoto city, Honshu, Japan, Asia

Local man in front of Friday Mosque or Masjet-e Jam, Herat, Afghanistan, Asia

Banana seller and cart at Agra, India

Man in red shirt in Bajawa, Flores, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

A Chinese man praying and offering incense, Thian Hock Keng Temple, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Asia

Man praying in copy of the Grotto of Massabielle, St. Philip Church (Huyen Sy Church), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Fisherman, Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

A man holds up a large bunch of rambutan for sale, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Monk, Wat Ho Siang, Luang Prabang, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Laos, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Driver with his colourful horse cart, Maimana, Faryab Province, Afghanistan, Asia

Tibetan Khampa at Manianggo, Sichuan Province, China, Asia

Shiva Hindu temple and Ahilya Fort Complex on banks of the Narmada River, Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh state, India, Asia

Man selling traditional belts and clothing in the city of Jaipur, Rajaasthan, India, Asia

Man relaxing in a temple, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Stilt fisherman (pole fisherman), Sri Lanka, Asia

Ceremony at Hindu Temple, Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh state, India, Asia

Bullock cart driver, Myanmar, Asia

Victoria Railway Terminus (station), Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra State, India, Asia

Seaweed farming, Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan, Asia

O-mikuji, fortune telling papers, Sapporo Shrine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, Asia

Fish market, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan, Asia

Sang sang rimpoche uses the dorje, a sacred ritual object to make the first decisive cut into the sand mandala on the last day of the mani rimdu festival. chiwang monastery, solu khumbu, nepal. solu khumbu, nepal

Crossing River Indus by pulley, near Besham, Indus Kohistan, Pakistan, Asia

Portrait of a local farmer, Hunza, Pakistan, Asia

Portrait of a Pathan man with hennaed beard, Khyber Pass, Pakistan, Asia

Sadhu smoking nirvana at pashupati nath temple, nepal

Aside from a life of simplicity focus on divine, many sadhus engage in a diverse array of practices both internal external in order to attain higher states of awareness consciousness. This sadhu chosen hatha yoga shows results--a well-disciplined, strong body--while holding kukkuta asana, or cock posture. India

Sadhus rally initiation at ujjain kumbh mela, indi

Sadhu doing yoga at hindu temple pashupati nath, nepal

Fire ritual at chiwang monastery during the mani rimdu festival. these monks circumambulate the pyre after its ignition. one holds a long book wrapped in a felicitous scarf. the purifying fire takes the offering and raises them towards the sky in smoke. the circumambulatory ritual also recalls the way disciples showed respect for the buddhas body. solu khumbu, nepal

Anuradha Koirala holds up her CNN Hero of the Year 2010 award as she is warmly greeted upon her return. Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal. A woman whose group has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery has been named the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year. Anuradha Koirala was chosen by the public in an online poll that ran for eight weeks on CNN.com. ?Human trafficking is a crime, a heinous crime, a shame to humanity,? Koirala said after being introduced as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. ?I ask everyone to join me to create a society free of trafficking. We need to do this for all our daughters

A young sadhu reads holy scripture near fire. Worship is part of daily life. Some sadhus chant mantras. gayatri mantra is of several mantras that sacred incantations or mystical formulas of ancient literature. gayatri mantra given by brahma mentioned in rigveda is named after consort of brahma: o that glory- of savitri most high. Oh divine us mediate upon. it inspire understanding. goal of recitation is to attain realization. Practice lead mind into a transcendental union with deity.Pashupatinath, kathmandu, nepa

Monk beating traditional drum called gong, int he courtyard of chiwang monastery during mani rimdu festival. chiwang monastery, solu khumbu, nepal

Trulshig rinpoche, blesses. Tulshig rinpoche blesses. Tulshig rimpoche s followers believe that he, like many other lamas, reassumes a human body after death in order to return to disciples. previous incarnation of tulshig rimpoche spent several years at dzarongpu monastery (highest monastery in world located at 16,500’ within sight of northern side of mt everest) served as of ngawong tenzin teachers. He promised to return in next life, so at tulshig s death ngawong tenzin norbu sought found reincarnation. current tulshig rimpoche then came to monastery studied with ngawong tenzin norbu. relationship between teacher student, in which a teacher returns to study from former student, maintains lineage over generations. Bhutan

Mani mask dancers at mani festival marks setting in of spring season in humla. masked dances diversion a long-established part of bonpo religious ceremonies.Dance Is means by which supernatural forces be brought down to world of. Dance recalls a time when distance between spirits samll. Humla, north-west nepal

Cambodia tuol sleng museum and former prison and torture chambers of the khmer rouge. phnom penh. photographs of victims imprisoned, tortured and killed at the prison

Uzbekistan statue of amir timur (tamburlaine) in his birth place, shakhrisabz

Indonesia laboratory testing drinking water. Photograph taken in meulaboh, aceh province -december 2006, 2 years after tsunami of december 26th 2004 devastated much of coastal region. Taken to illustrate reconstruction work projects of (catholic relief services) of sponsored photo tour. terchnician : every house well gets tested. Unicef originally helped up to support other ngos in area, helps staff salaries provides us with equipment. coordinates activities with local government. water in local wells is quite contaminated, especially with arsenic, as well as nitrates, nitrites, iron, manganese fluoride. water became salinated after tsunami. We test here both water from shallow deep wells

India - food: man and woman grinding herbs, pinkulam village, kerala

Cambodia buddhist monk walking along paddy field

India - farming: winnowing rice, andhra pradesh

Uzbekistan men drinking tea at a chaikhana, shakhrisabz.

India - food: man eating vegetarian meal from a banana leaf in a restuarant of trivandrum, kerala

Uzbekistan men drinking tea at the lyab-i-hauz, bukhara

India. Father jose thottakara, syro-malabar catholic parish priest, celebrating sunday mass, saint georges church, ernakulum, kerala. 2007

India - health: saint josephs hospice for cancer patients, kottayam, kerala

India. Father jose thottakara, syro-malabar catholic parish priest, celebrating sunday mass, saint georges church, ernakulum, kerala. 2007

Myanmar fishing on irrawaddy (ayeyarwady) river, mandalay

Uzbekistan craftsman and apprentice repairing the shah-i-zinda necropolis of mausoleums, samarkand

Thailand steven moses, director of nccm, with burmese refugee children at school, mae sot

CAMBODIA Sovat Komsonath (29) fishing in the Sekong River, Ban Bung village, Stung Treng district. In this image he is casting his net

India - farming - health: man harvesting wild succulent plant for herbal medicine

Bangladesh old moslem man, mymenisngh.