India

With nearly 900 million eligible voters, the elections are considered the world's largest. Now travelers — both Indian and foreign — want to experience what it's like across the country.

The northeastern state of Assam left some 4 million people, mostly Muslims, off its citizenship register last year. At the same time, India is seeking to offer citizenship to non-Muslim foreigners.

Cyclone Fani tore through India and Bangladesh over the weekend, forcing the evacuation of millions of people.

Authorities predicted "total destruction" of many homes. The cyclone made landfall early Friday morning, and at least two people have reportedly been killed by the powerful storm.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holds an outsize influence on national policy. Its goal: to redefine India according to the Hindu faith.

Ayurvedic products and treatments based on ancient Indian healing practices are part of a multibillion-dollar industry. A yoga guru with ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has built a retail empire.

The 16th century Babri mosque's destruction marked a turning point in Indian politics. Thousands, mostly Muslims, died afterward in riots. The prime minister vows to build a Hindu temple on the site.

Officials have been altering names to become more Hinducentric. "It is very dangerous for national integrity and unity," says a historian. The changes accelerated ahead of this year's elections.

The country's oldest private airline once boasted the largest fleet in the subcontinent. But it lost altitude in recent years amid fierce competition from regional low-cost carriers.

Many see India's election as a turning point in which the country may seek to redefine itself via Hinduism, its majority faith. Secularism has become "a four-letter word," says one expert.

The public health advocate came of age in India when homosexuality was outlawed. He reflects on his experiences in An Indefinite Sentence: A Personal History of Outlawed Love and Sex.

Polls have opened in 18 Indian states and two union territories. It is the first day of a seven-phase election staggered over more than five weeks in the country of 1.3 billion people.