Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Mother and daughter take a break from tilling soil to plant lentils in the fertile fields outside of their village near the mouth of the Ganges River.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Lentils grow in terraces that rise up the mountainside above a village shrine beside a spring.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. A young woman washes her family’s laundry at the village spring fed from the Ganges River.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Three boys, friends, relax in the fall sunshine across from the washing spring.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. The brother of ‘Guru,’ my friend, guide, and translator, smiles warmly after leading me out to the fields where villagers are farming beside him.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. A man and his animals work the land in one of the many plots outside the village.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Family members of all ages often get involved to help with what needs to be done, whether cooking, cleaning, or farming.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. My friend and guide, Guru, stands in the fields with villagers, the older of whom have known him his whole life. Guru moved away from Manpur at age 16 to find restaurant work in the heavily touristed town of Rishikesh, where he learned English and sends money home to his family regularly.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. The village’s Main Street, where one can catch taxis either down to Uttarkashi or else higher up into the mountains in the opposite direction.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Children stare in the windows to the bedroom that I share with Guru. They are intrigued with almost every move I make.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. A mother and her daughter both grind and sift grain together in front of their family home.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. A woman struggles to contain her joy as she looks up from grinding grain in front of her colorful house hung with drying laundry, visible behind her.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. A young girl offers a shy smile while sifting grain on her front patio.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. The maternal grandmother of Guru sits with her family after tea on the large rear patio overlooking the valley beyond.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Two young girls pose for a photo amidst their friends and family after tea on the family’s spacious rear patio.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. The paternal grandmother of Guru shares a warm grin after tea on the family patio. I grow close to all of the family members during my time with them, and this smile would not have revealed itself so easily at the beginning of my stay.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Joy turns to laughter with this beautiful matriarch of the family.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Village life is truly a family affair and young children are often tended to by friends and relatives of all ages.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. A young man and old friend of Guru shows off his effortless style.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. The openness of people in India is tremendous, and especially in the villages.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. A colorful wall offers the perfect background to frame this woman’s expression.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. Guru’s brother lights a simple oil lamp to bring light for the night.

Manpur Village, Himalayan Foothills, Northern India. A Diwali decoration hangs on the door of a village building.