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Tuesday, 4 October 2005, 16:08 GMT 17:08 UK

In pictures: Indian conjoined twins

Saba, left and Farah on their arrival at Delhi's Apollo Hospital

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Conjoined twins Saba, left, and Farah could soon have surgery to separate them. (Pictures by Prashant Ravi unless otherwise indicated)

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah with mother, Rabiya Khatoon, at home in Patna, Bihar state (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah with mother, Rabiya Khatoon, at home in Patna, Bihar state (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

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Mother Rabiya Khatoon and other family members are praying for a miracle.

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah climbing stairs at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah climbing stairs at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

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The 10-year-old twins share an artery that carries blood to their hearts.

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah washing up at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah washing up at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

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Doctors will have to separate their brains where the sisters share a blood drainage vessel.

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah brushing their teeth at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah brushing their teeth at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

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Farah (right) has two kidneys while Saba has none and will require a kidney transplant.

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah with parents in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

Conjoined Indian twins, Saba, left and Farah with parents in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

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The girls' father, Mohammad Shakeel Ahmed, owns a restaurant but cannot not afford to pay for their treatment.

Saba, left and Farah playing a game of carrom with a friend at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

Saba, left and Farah playing a game of carrom with a friend at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

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Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, has offered to bear the costs of any surgery.

Saba, left and Farah with friends outside their home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

Saba, left and Farah with friends outside their home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

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The twins try and live as normally as they can. They love Bollywood movies and enjoy Hindi film songs.

Saba, left and Farah at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

Saba, left and Farah at home in Patna (Picture by Prashant Ravi)

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Conjoined twins are extremely rare, occurring in as few as one in every 200,000 births and most of them are girls.

Saba, left and Farah with a team of doctors on their arrival at Delhi's Apollo Hospital

Saba, left and Farah with a team of doctors on their arrival at Delhi's Apollo Hospital

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The sisters underwent a series of tests in the Indian capital before doctors said an operation to separate them was viable.

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