Facebook storytellers of India

Saira says she found a voice and strength after intense therapy

Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York page which recently made news for raising almost $2m (£1.3m) in funds for a Pakistan charity, is easily one of the most popular pages on Facebook. The page which aims to capture the faces and stories of ordinary people in Manhattan has gone on to inspire a number of similar initiatives from other cities and countries. The BBC's Vikas Pandey speaks to the owners of some Indian versions.

"I was once blaming myself for being raped, but today I know better. It's not my fault. I want to inspire the thousands like me, who have kept quiet and felt dirty. We're not dirty ones," Saira who grew up in Mumbai's red light district of Kamathipura is quoted as saying on the "Humans of Bombay" Facebook page run by Karishma Mehta.

She says living in the red light district wasn't a choice for many like her mother.

"I always feel upset because she thinks it's 'dirty work'. Why is it considered dirty? My mother is a woman of strength and I want her and all like her to know that it's okay," Saira adds.

Ms Mehta met Saira in Kamathipura where she wrote down her story, and helped raise funds with a Mumbai-based non-governmental organisation that Saira volunteers with.

The 370,000 fans of the Facebook page donated $7800 (£5,000) in less than 15 hours.

Ms Mehta says that she was inspired by the popular Humans of New York page and decided to start a similar page in Mumbai.

"I didn't expect the page to become so popular. I just wanted to post stories of people who live among us but we seldom get to know them. I don't follow stereotypes, I just look for normal human stories," she told the BBC.

Mumbai is a busy city and Ms Mehta said she sometimes faces resistance from people, but added that "it's all about talking to individuals and telling them about what we do".

She has no specific daily routine, choosing instead to simply walk around the city in search of faces and stories.

"It's so strange that we live in the internet age but still know very little about our neighbours. My page is all about changing this mindset and I have been trying to show different facets of Mumbai," she said.

But Humans of Bombay is not alone in this quest, similar pages are running in cities like Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

'Buying faith'

The owner of a shop in a temple complex says "people never question the price of religion".

Sreya Vittaldev, the administrator of Humans of Bangalore page, says her favourite story was about a man who runs a shop that sells religious paraphernalia in a temple complex but doesn't believe in god.

"They never question the price of religion, or what is being sold here. They just buy it. Even if I sell them a 100 rupees ($1.5;£1) picture of [Hindu god] Ganesha, for 200 rupees, they'd buy it. No questions asked. " the man is quoted as saying on the page.

He told her that people keep coming back with requests for a "different picture or a different sacred thread, so I guess, they're still trying to find faith".

Ms Vittaldev said such stories were her inspiration for started the page.

"People were actually taking interest in making time to read strangers' life stories and struggles. Reading stories of people can help everyone shed their inhibitions of 'strangers', judging people and loosely assuming and believing whatever society expects them to believe," she told the BBC.

'Life was good'

Ms Sharma says she found the story of this flute seller interesting

Kriti Sharma runs the Humans of New Delhi page and tells me that her page was "born out of a need to try and bridge the disconnect we felt as Delhi residents, with the aim to connect to our fellow humans".

She finds stories of ordinary people interesting.

Her favourite story was born out of the following conversation:

"I used to live in Amsterdam. Now I sell flutes here."

"Why did you leave Amsterdam?"

"There was a time when I had everything. Life was good. But then I lost it all and returned here, After that, I never felt like going back or anywhere at all... In life, some things stay with you, others not so much. If the one thing that is the most precious to you is taken away, then it breaks the human spirit."

"Who did you leave behind?"

I loved my wife a lot. We never fought... things couldn't have been better. I had everything I could ever ask for and more. Then I got the chance to move to Amsterdam for my music. She told me not to go... begged even... said she would die if I left like that. I did... I left. And she died."

'I am a believer'

Laxmikant Shirke wanted to live a normal life, but says now he is living an extraordinary life

Robin Kankerwal runs Humans of India Facebook page and believes in the message of sharing interesting human stories.

He finds the the story of former army officer Laxmikant Shirke on his page inspiring.

Mr Shirke lost his left leg and right hand in an accident, but refused to give up. He loved driving and did not give up on his passion for long drives even after the accident.

"Marking every day of my journey with courage and bravery unseen. I am a believer, with a smile always on my face and love to do what I do best - 'enjoy life, every hour, and every day'," he says.

BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.