Thousands of demonstrators take part in a global climate protest at the Parliament House in Helsinki, Finland.
India's Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, right, and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto unveil a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Helsinki, Finland.
Finland's President Sauli Niinisto, left welcomes India's Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Presidential Castle in Helsinki, Finland.
Indian athlete Hima Das celebrates after winning gold in the final of the women's 400m on day three of the IAAF World U20 Championships, in Tampere, Finland.
Finnish Santa Claus, right, and Russian Father Frost with a Snow Maiden met and exchanged presents at the Nuijamaa border station between Finland and Russia in Lappeenranta, Eastern Finland.
Silver medalist Michal Brezina, left of Czech Republic, gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan and bronze medalist Cha Junhwan of South Korea pose for a selfie during the victory ceremony for the men's competition of the figure skating ISU Helsinki Grand Prix event in Helsinki, Finland.
Security removes an apparent protester before a joint press conference between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia President Vladimir Putin in the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.
A man is shoved out of the room after showing prior to a press conference after the meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.
A man argues with a security staff on a protest poster prior to a press conference after the meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hand at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a one-on-one-meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, gives a soccer ball to U.S. President Donald Trump, left, during a press conference after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of the press conference after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland.
A man with a Putin mask and a rainbow flag attends a rally against the policy of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in central Helsinki.
Jenni Haukio, wife of Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, from left, pose for a photo on the balcony of Niinisto's residence in Helsinki, Finland prior to Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Finnish capital.
People take to Helsinki street. Some 1,500 people are protesting in Helsinki to promote human and sexual rights, democracy and environmental issues ahead of summit in the Finnish capital between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
People take to Helsinki street. Some 1,500 people are protesting in Helsinki to promote human and sexual rights, democracy and environmental issues ahead of summit in the Finnish capital between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
A woman attends a rally against the policy of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. President Trump and President Putin will meet in Finland's capital.
Hima Das, of India, celebrates her victory in women's 400 meter race at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland.
A bonfire is lit up to celebrate the summer solstice during the Seurasaari openair museum's Midsummer Eve festival in Helsinki, Finland.
Heavy machinery works to clear the runways after heavy snow and rain covered Helsinki International Airport. A cold weather front has swept across the region causing some travel disruption.
Mikhail Kolyada of Russia performs his routine during the men's free skating in the Finlandia Trophy 2017 international figure skating competition in Espoo, Finland.
Italy's Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise perform their routine, during the pairs' free skating competition, part of the Finlandia Trophy 2017 international figure skating competition in Espoo, Finland.
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia performs her routine during the ladies' free skating in the Finlandia Trophy 2017 international figure skating competition in Espoo, Finland.
Gabrielle Daleman of Canada performs her routine during the ladies' free skating in the Finlandia Trophy 2017 international figure skating competition in Espoo, Finland.
Rescue services attend the scene after a multiple stabbing incident on the Market Square in Turku, Finland, after several people were stabbed. A man is thought to have stabbed several people in Finland's western city of Turku before police shot him in a leg and detained him, police said, adding that authorities were looking for more potential suspects.
Athletes are ready to start for the men's 50 km race during the 2017 Nordic Skiing World Championships in Lahti, Finland.
People emerge into the cold open air from the free Christmas sauna which has become an annual tradition, set up in historical centre of Helsinki, Finland. Several hundred people have already visited the free ‘Christmas Sauna’ in Helsinki city centre, according to organisers of this annual winter tradition.
Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States competes during the first run of an alpine skiing women's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland.
Media surrounds Bjorn Wahlroos, the Chairman of the Board of Nordea, with questions about the so called "Panama Papers" in connection with Nordea as he arrives to the general meeting of the Finnish bio and forest industries company UPM in Helsinki, Finland.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding bilateral talks with the Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipila at the Make in India Centre in Mumbai.
Finland (.fi)
Charlotta Osterbergi, 30, Yoga teacher, Navi Mumbai. Started “YogYug” to spread awareness about yoga with the help of social media.
In India: 7 years
I come from a sparsely populated country, which is quiet, cold, and dark during most months. People in Finland value their private space and we create both physical and mental boundaries around us. I had to learn to let go of those boundaries and learn to relax with people around me. I think in India people are afraid of not being noticed because the population is so huge. In Finland we are afraid of being noticed, and we want to blend into the masses. You could say that I’ve let go of many masks that I used to hide behind in Finland. I’m not so scared of being seen, and particularly being seen as natural and flawed.
I also had to let go of my need to know things in advance. Indians do what they feel like doing in the present moment, not what they told someone that they would do two weeks ago. I know it sounds like a cliché but yoga helped me accept that I can’t control everything, and more importantly that I shouldn’t even try. When people say yoga teaches you to “let go” it is not just a random saying. Yoga can really teach you to surrender this obsessive need to plan ahead and be on top of things. My husband sometime tells me that yoga has changed me, and he notices that I’ve become a happier person. It is not because my surroundings have changed, it’s because I have changed. I have this feeling of gratitude towards India for all of this.
The best thing about India for me is that the belief system(s) aren’t so black and white. Finnish people generally believe in science, empirical evidence, efficiency and being practical at all times. I feel that there is a possibility to go beyond all these worldly things in India, to add a spiritual angle to life, and to make everyday life just a little bit more interesting. If you bring up a topic related to philosophy, spirituality or religion in Finland it can get a bit uncomfortable. In India it’s acceptable to believe in something without proof, and many times the lines between true stories and myths are blurred.
A negative thing that I found when I moved to India was filth and garbage being strewn across a really beautiful country. Coming from Finland, a place where people took the environment and cleanliness very importantly, the lackadaisical attitude of Indians towards keeping the country clean was disconcerting. It is great that the new Government has introduced the “Swachch Bharat Abhiyan” which is trying to help remedy this problem.
Initially I decided to stay in India for my husband, who has his own business in Mumbai. Moving out of India didn’t make any sense at the time, so it was a natural choice to stay here. As I see it I have two homes now, Finland and India. It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to live in two different cultures. I don’t think about “going back home” anymore, because I am at home all the time, wherever I am.
Indian cities have seen rapid growth over the past 7years that I have lived here. Globalization has brought people from around the world to places like Mumbai, which are big growth centers. Hence you find more foreigners in Mumbai which has made people’s attitudes towards us more relaxed and accepting.
The population in Mumbai has also generally opened towards different groups like the LGBT community and acceptance levels towards diverse groups and lifestyle choices have increased. Women’s safety and empowerment has seen a marked improvement I would think, which is thanks to the media spotlighting this important issue.
I have also noticed a change in people’s attitudes towards politics and have witnessed that youth are now more inclined to bring about positive change in the country and are gravitating towards actually doing something about it. There has been a change in psyche of the youth from the “chaltha hain” attitude towards wanting to create an India that they feel they deserve. The country voting for change in a very big way during the general elections is a good indicator of this change in political attitude.
Economically Mumbai has definitely become a much more expensive place, but we see people with more disposable income as well. Unskilled labor, which was extremely underpaid in the country has now seen an increase in wages. This is perhaps due to Government policies like the MGNREGA.
My best memories in India revolve around our Big Fat Indian Family. Every birthday, anniversary and festival is celebrated together and pompously and that it is really refreshing. I also love how even extended family members goes out of their way to do things for their relatives, and this bond is what really makes the Indian culture so special.
A Santa Claus holding an idol of Lord Ganesh in Rovaniemi town, known as official Santa Claus Village in Arctic Circle that was visited by the President Pranab Mukherjee.
President Pranab Mukherjee & daughter Sharmistha meet the one & only Santa Claus at his Home in Lapland, Finland
President Pranab Mukherjee in a group photograph with the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto and his wife, Jenni Haukio, at Government House, in Helsinki, Finland.
The Nokia headquarters located in Keilaniemi, Espoo, Finland, are "On the move" to join Nokia Solutions and Networks' headquarters in Karakallio, Espoo.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presents the Sustainable Development Leadership Award 2012 to Finland President Tarja Halonen during the12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2012 in New Delhi.
Helsinki: A view of the city from the Sokos Vaakuna hotel (the railway station is to the left)
