Siliguri, India, September 27, 2008--A clay idol prepared for Durga Puja, a popular religious event for Hindu Bengalis, gazes off into the distance as an artisan in a workshop puts the finishing touches on another in the background.

The five-day festival, which gets underway on October 5, celebrates female power and the victory of good over evil. At night, brightly lit streets are packed with revelers as the idols of the goddess Durga and her four children are on display.

--John Roach