India has always been a country of contrasts — and of incredible beauty. These 28 photos — taken between 1900—1908 — are not only interesting because they bring to life a past that doesn't exist any more, but also because the people and places in these photos prove that India has always been a country that is gloriously, exhilaratingly alive. The heart of India beats on.
1. Man dives from the top of a 50 ft tower into a tank below — Fatehpur Sikri
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2. State barge of the Maharaja of Kashmir — Srinagar
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3. A man and his ox-cart — Kolkata
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4. Rock-hewn temple — Elephanta
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5. Parsi headmaster and his students — Uran, Navi Mumbai
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6. Golden Temple — Amritsar
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7. Mahapalika Marg — Mumbai
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8. Colonnade at Dilwara Jain Temple — Mount Abu
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9. Naldehra — Shimla
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10. Inflating bullock-skin boats to cross the river — Banks of the Sutlej
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11. Akbar's Tomb, Sikandara — Agra
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12. Temple pillars — Madurai
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13. On the banks of the Ganga — Varanasi
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14. Funeral procession — Agra
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15. Lush country surrounding the Dilwara Temples — Mount Abu
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16. Shepherds tend their flock — Mount Abu
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17. Schoolboys at the Golden Temple — Amritsar
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18. Bride and bridegroom — Mumbai
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19. The Taj Mahal reflected in the Yamuna — Agra
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20. Crowd watches a performing bear — Jaipur
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21. Jama Masjid — Delhi
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22. Worshippers at Dilwara Temple — Mount Abu
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23. Entrance to Akbar's Tomb at Sikandara — Agra
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24. Temple pond — Varanasi
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25. Palace of Man Singh — Gwalior
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26. Crossing the Jhelum — en route to Kashmir
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27. Meditating under the hot sun — Mount Abu
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28. Shops on a busy street — Delhi
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All images from Imgur.