In pictures: South Asia's slow recovery from the tsunami

In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, around 6,000 people died in Nagapattinam district. In the town of Cuddalore, there are many orphaned children who also lost brothers and sisters. Many are now coming to terms with a surviving parent re-marrying.

The town is seen as a "model district" in the long-term rehabilitation of tsunami victims, with an estimated 2,323 families successfully re-settled in new permanent houses.

Tamil Nadu photos by Tom Pietrasik.