Photo of the Day

families sleeping on rooftops in India
October 26, 2015

Come Up for Air

Yasmin Mund climbed to the top of her Varanasi, India, guesthouse to see the sun rise over the Ganges River, but when she reached the roof, it was another, unexpected scene that caught her by surprise. “I looked over the right-hand side of the balcony, and my jaw dropped with disbelief,” she says. “Below were families—mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, and dogs—all sleeping on the tops of their houses. It was midsummer … and sleeping sans AC was difficult.”

This photograph was submitted to the 2015 National Geographic Photo Contest. Submit your best photo for a chance to win.

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Photograph by Yasmin Mund

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