The New York Times Agency Photos
THE SACRED RIVER GANGES (13 OF 20)
Pilgrims gather at sunrise at Assi Ghat, one of many gathering places along the Ganges River in Varanasi, India, where thousands bathe and perform religious duties every day. The Ganges River has become filthy and transmits diseases due to overpopulation, overuse and ineffective sewage treatment systems. (Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)