Top left: More than 1,500 women come twice a day to the Bhagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. Each of the four hour sesssions of chanting pays a few rupees and a handful of uncooked rice. The women can also choose a hot meal instead of money and rice. After eating breakfast, the women gather their belongings and head out into the midday sun.

Bottom left: Afternoon prayers at the Bhagwan Bhajan Ashram.

Top centre: Overgrowing ivy partialy obscures a painting of the crucifixion in the private garden of a house in Gherla.

Bottom centre: Devi Rani is 80 years old. She is from West Bengal and was widowed at 44. She has one daughter. Her daughter is married and lives near Vrindavan. Before she came to Aamar Bari she was living with her daughter and son-in-law, but they didn’t get along and she didn’t want to be a burden on them. She is deeply religious and every time she walks by the picture of Krishna (takurgji) she kisses the picture.

Top right: Satyawatei DikPat says she is 112 years old. And that's old enough. Tired of living she decided it was time to die and stopped eating. For five days she locked herself in her room, without food or water and waited to die.

Bottom right:The sweltering pre-monsoon heat is crushing during the day. The temperature easily soars to 50 degrees Celsius and most of the women are over the age of 60. Before the chanting session, man of the women rest on the floor of the temple.