Jonathan Kingston | Cultures

Mustache competition, Rajasthan, India.

A young woman pierces her tung and cheek during a fire walking festival, Tamil Nadu, India.

Village elders carry the village gods on their heads in Tamil Nadu, India.

A Hindu devotee, Tamil Nadu, India.

In a trance a fire-walker crosses the hot coals in Tamil Nadu, India.

Young girls carry pots of water during a festival in Tamil Nadu, India.

A village elder carries a priest on his shoulders during a festival in Tamil Nadu, India.

A woman prepares chapatties over an open fire in, Rajasthan, India.

Shamdar Bhoppa winces from smoke getting in his eyes while making a ravanatha instrument for tourists at the Pushkar mela, Rajasthan, India.

Indian carnival workers small cars and motorcycles inside a "wall of death" or motordrome at death defying speeds for paying spectators to watch in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India.

A Kathakali dancer prepares for his performance in Kerala, India.

A cotton candy vendor touts his wares for passengers of The Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Coonoor. The railway is one of the oldest mountain railways in India and a UNESCO world heritage site, connects the town of Ootacamund with the town of Mettupalayam in the foothills of the Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India.

Two men hang a sign advertising gold jewlery in Kerala, India.

A young adult woman dries her sari's on tea bushes in Tamil Nadu, India.

A mahout bathes his elephant while his family washes clothes in a river in Tamil Nadu, India.

The Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai, India. At the ghat 10,000 workers wash over 1,000,000 pieces of clothing a day, by hand, each individual standing in the soapy water near their washing stone for up to 16 hours. The dhobi ghat is one of the largest examples of this profession in the world and it is finding itself at the center of a a John Henry-esque story of man versus machine is unfolding in this rapidly growing city of over 18 million people.

A taxi cab in front of a brightly decorated building, Mumbai, India. In 2006 the city of Mumbai mandated that all public transportation be run on Compressed Natural Gas or CNG. This green shift has vastly improved air quality in the city of Mumbai.

Pushkar camel fair, Rajasthan, India.

Pushkar camel fair, Rajasthan, India.

A band of musicians prepares to play for a wedding in Mathura, India.

Colorful saris are draped in a courtyard in preparation for a wedding in Mathura, India.

A man practices Beijing opera at an outdoor park in Beijing, China.

A Beijing opera performer applies makeup in preparation for her evening's show, Beijing, China.

A man practices chinese calligraphy in a Beijing park using water to write poetry on the pavement, Beijing, China.