Ice bucket challenge: From west to India

In this image from video posted on Facebook, courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, former President George W. Bush participates in the ice bucket challenge with the help of his wife, Laura Bush, in Kennebunkport, Maine. The challenge has caught on with notable figures participating in the campaign to raise money for the fight against ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. "To you all that challenged me, I do not think it's presidential for me to be splashed with ice water so I'm simply going to write you a cheque," he teased viewers.

Bill Gates takes the ice bucket challenge. On Facebook Bill Gates updated his status: Mark Zuckerberg challenged me to dump a bucket of ice water on my head to raise awareness for ALS. I’m always up for a challenge. Now I’m passing it on to On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Chris Anderson from TED, and Elon Musk. You have 24 hours.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes the ice bucket challenge for the awareness of ALS disease. In his status update on Facebook he said: Yesterday, Governor Chris Christie challenged me to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I accepted his challenge, and now I'm challenging Bill Gates, Sheryl Sandberg and Reed Hastings next. You guys have 24 hours to complete the challenge or you have to donate to the ALS foundation -- or both.

Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So, right, and Hong Kong businessman Allan Zeman take part in the ice bucket challenge fund raising event in Hong Kong.

Oprah Winfrey takes up the ice bucket challenge. On Facebook she said: Thank you Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Tyler Perry and Nancy O'Dell for challenging me. I challenge Steven Spielberg, Dame Helen Mirren and Manish Dayal. In the name of ALS.

Riteish Deshmukh took the challenge while shooting for his film. An internet campaign to raise awareness and donation for a rare disease – Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which spread from tech executives to sports stars to Hollywood celebrities and even at least one former US president (so far), has now spread all the way to the second most populated country in the world.

Daler Mehndi takes the ice bucket challenge. The campaign has so far raised nearly $15 million, but it has not been without critics who say the target population is too small and that such a campaign could have been put to better use for something else. Others have rued the wastage of water by millions who have already or will take the test.

Akshay Kumar takes the ice bucket challenge. In India, Bollywood celebrities and sports stars took to social networking sites to upload their videos of completing the Ice bucket challenge.

Akshay Kumar takes the ice bucket challenge. The Ice Bucket Challenge began in the US to raise awareness for a disease named after Gehrig, a US baseball legend who died of it. However, India’s fixation with all things Western has raised concerns about blindly copying the West for what is alleged to be a fad.

Sidharth Malhotra takes the ice bucket challenge. Wastage of water is one of the biggest criticism that the ice bucket challenge has received. In a country where water is already a scarcity for many, the criticism is even stronger. Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha joined the protestors when she upturned an empty bucket over herself, while calling for saving water. Here’s her ‘challenge’.