epa feature packages

epa03698388 (17/17) Nazia (R) and her husband, leper patient Noor-u-Din (L) feed their children in their room at the leprosy hospital in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 30 April 2013. The leprosy hospital was founded by the British around 1891. At present there are just over a hundred patients living with their families in the hospital run by the Kashmir state government. The patients live in the same mud made structures which were built by the British over a century ago, most of them under unhygienic conditions and without proper sanitation. EPA/FAROOQ KHAN epa03591500 (19/20) Zhou Yanyun (L), 21 and Jia Pan, 22, members of 'Longzaitian' or 'Dragon in the Sky' Shadow Puppet Troupe, put on their costumes before a show in Beijing, China, 12 January 2013. The troupe consists of close to 50 members who look like children but are actually dwarfs with an average age of 22 and height of 1.26 metres. Formed in 2008, the troupe started out with less than ten members but gradually grew in fame and stature, drawing many other dwarfs from all parts of China who seek to be accepted in a community of their own. The troupe provides training, food, accommodation and income for the members as well as a sense of belonging and pride in their work preserving the ancient art of shadow puppetry. Dwarfs have traditionally been viewed as disabled people in China and are often discriminated by mainstream society. EPA/HOW HWEE YOUNG

Leprosy Hospital in Srinagar

Photographer: Farooq Khan

Dwarf Empire in Kunming

Photographer: Diego Azubel
epa03657502 (15/19) Guests wearing costumes and ball gowns dance to the music of the Philippe Lebel orchestra during the Imperial Ball in the Opera Ballroom of The Grand Hotel in Paris, France, 06 April 2013. The annual ball is organized by French charity 'Les Oeuvres des Saints Anges' (lit: Work of the Holy Angels) and its President, Baroness de Saint-Didier. EPA/YOAN VALAT epa03656597 (12/12) Revellers spray their bags of colored powder during the first Holi One Color festival in Cape Town, South Africa, 02 March 2013. Recently in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, a commercial adaptation called the Holi One Colour Festival, was witnessed by thousands of party goers dancing to professional DJ's and every hour the festival would count down to a massive explosion of colored paint as the revellers threw bags of powdered paint into the air and onto friends and other festival goers. EPA/KIM LUDBROOK

The Imperial Ball

Photographer: Yoan Valat

Holi One Party

Photographer: Kim Ludbrook
epa03647554 (24/29)The Mawenzi peak is silouhetted against the sunrise seen from the Kibo summit of the Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, Tanzania, 14 February 2013. Climbing Kilimajaro is tough, however the treks include a reasonable number of days for acclimatisation, giving a large number of visitors a better chance to succeed in reaching the summit. Although it is not a technically difficult climb the altitude can take it toll on climbers. EPA/GERNOT HENSEL epa03639864 (03/15) An unidentified craftsman prepares natural mineral pigments from powdered minerals at the traditional painting supplies shop Hokodo in Kyoto, Japan, 13 March 2013. The shop is the oldest traditional painting supplies shop in Japan dating back to the mid 19th century. The shop, which specializes in hand made paints made primarily from mineral sources is patronized by Japan's leading painters. The shop handles over 1,000 colors and is renowned for the ability to create almost any color from natural mineral and organic pigments. EPA/EVERETT KENNEDY BROWN

Kilimajaro Lemosho Trek

Photographer: Gernot Hensel

Traditional Paint Maker in Kyoto

Photographer: Everett Kennedy Brown