Stafford was fascinated by India’s people and culture and travelled across the country several times throughout the 1970s, right up until her last visit in 1980. She was often accompanied by her friend, the acclaimed Indian writer, Mulk Raj Anand. In 1970 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared war against Pakistan, leading to the birth of Bangladesh, where Stafford visited following the war’s end in 1972.
Stafford took portraits of the people she met or was introduced to on her travels, she photographed the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi and other noteworthy places such as the Jama Masjid Mosque and she also spent considerable time with two Indian tribes – the Ghotul Muria Tribe and the Warli Tribe.