"Hindu scriptures"

#12791886

24 September 2025

Durga idols are seen at a potters' hub ahead of the Durga Puja festival celebration in Kolkata, India, on September 24, 2025.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779770

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779771

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779772

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779773

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779774

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779775

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779776

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779777

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12779778

21 September 2025

Devotees perform rituals of Mahalaya at a Ganges riverside in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, devotees across Bengal and beyond offer prayers at dawn with the recitation of the Chandi Path, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on earth. Considered the day when the pitru paksha ends and the devipaksha begins in Hindu tradition, Mahalaya holds deep scriptural significance as it symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and heralds the Durga Puja festivities. Hindus believe that if they offer prayers at dawn on Mahalaya for their forefathers, the souls of their ancestors attain moksha and bless them with good fortune.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12773392

19 September 2025

Artisans work on clay sculptures depicting the Hindu goddess Durga at the Kumartuli workshop ahead of the upcoming 'Durga Puja' festival in Siliguri, India, on September 19, 2025.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12773394

19 September 2025

Artisans work on clay sculptures depicting the Hindu goddess Durga at the Kumartuli workshop ahead of the upcoming 'Durga Puja' festival in Siliguri, India, on September 19, 2025.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12773395

19 September 2025

A female artisan works on clay sculptures depicting the Hindu goddess Durga at the Kumartuli workshop ahead of the upcoming 'Durga Puja' festival in Siliguri, India, on September 19, 2025.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12698168

31 August 2025

Nepali Hindu women dance in a circle to celebrate the late summer festival of ''Gaura,'' singing songs of faith and struggle in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 31, 2025. The festival, observed for five days and led primarily by women, has roots in ancient scriptures and centers on the worship of Goddess Gaura, also known as Hindu goddess Parvati, and her union with Lord Shiva. The word Gaura refers to Gauri, another name for Goddess Parvati, and there are more than one thousand eight hundred names for her in total. Gaura Parva commemorates Parvati's penance to win Shiva as her husband. It marks the divine marriage between the two deities, an event mentioned in the Himavat Khanda, a segment of the Skanda Purana in Hinduism and several other Puranas. In these accounts, Parvati, the daughter of the Himalaya, worships Shiva through strict fasting. Her devotion eventually results in their union, which devotees continue to celebrate every year. The Manas Khanda section of the Skanda Purana places Gaura's origins in the Himalayan region, specifically among communities in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. The festival is most prominently celebrated in Nepal across the far-western districts of Doti, Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Bajhang, Achham, and Bajura. It falls in August or September, depending on the lunar calendar.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12698169

31 August 2025

Nepali Hindu women dance in a circle to celebrate the late summer festival of ''Gaura,'' singing songs of faith and struggle in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 31, 2025. The festival, observed for five days and led primarily by women, has roots in ancient scriptures and centers on the worship of Goddess Gaura, also known as Hindu goddess Parvati, and her union with Lord Shiva. The word Gaura refers to Gauri, another name for Goddess Parvati, and there are more than one thousand eight hundred names for her in total. Gaura Parva commemorates Parvati's penance to win Shiva as her husband. It marks the divine marriage between the two deities, an event mentioned in the Himavat Khanda, a segment of the Skanda Purana in Hinduism and several other Puranas. In these accounts, Parvati, the daughter of the Himalaya, worships Shiva through strict fasting. Her devotion eventually results in their union, which devotees continue to celebrate every year. The Manas Khanda section of the Skanda Purana places Gaura's origins in the Himalayan region, specifically among communities in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. The festival is most prominently celebrated in Nepal across the far-western districts of Doti, Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Bajhang, Achham, and Bajura. It falls in August or September, depending on the lunar calendar.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#12698170

31 August 2025

Nepali Hindu women dance in a circle to celebrate the late summer festival of ''Gaura,'' singing songs of faith and struggle in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 31, 2025. The festival, observed for five days and led primarily by women, has roots in ancient scriptures and centers on the worship of Goddess Gaura, also known as Hindu goddess Parvati, and her union with Lord Shiva. The word Gaura refers to Gauri, another name for Goddess Parvati, and there are more than one thousand eight hundred names for her in total. Gaura Parva commemorates Parvati's penance to win Shiva as her husband. It marks the divine marriage between the two deities, an event mentioned in the Himavat Khanda, a segment of the Skanda Purana in Hinduism and several other Puranas. In these accounts, Parvati, the daughter of the Himalaya, worships Shiva through strict fasting. Her devotion eventually results in their union, which devotees continue to celebrate every year. The Manas Khanda section of the Skanda Purana places Gaura's origins in the Himalayan region, specifically among communities in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. The festival is most prominently celebrated in Nepal across the far-western districts of Doti, Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Bajhang, Achham, and Bajura. It falls in August or September, depending on the lunar calendar.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.