"sins"

#12683367

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women stand in queue to enter the temple to perform rituals in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683368

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women stand in queue to enter the temple to perform rituals in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683369

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women dance inside a temple after performing rituals in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683370

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women perform rituals in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683371

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women perform a ritual in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683372

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women perform a ritual in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683373

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women perform a ritual in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683374

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women perform a ritual in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683375

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women walk through the muddy path on their return from the Rishi temple after performing rituals in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025. Rishi Panchami is celebrated to mark the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683376

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women perform rituals in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683377

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women perform rituals in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12683378

28 August 2025

Fasting Nepali Hindu women perform rituals in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 28, 2025, on the day of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami marks the conclusion of the Teej festival. The festival is observed primarily by women who have reached menstruation age, as a day of purification and devotion. Fasting and worship are performed to honor the Sapta Rishis--the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology--with the belief that doing so absolves them of any sins believed to have been committed during their menstrual cycles. On this day, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams, or lakes as part of the ritual. They cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga (a medicinal plant), as well as cow dung, sacred soil, and ash. The fasting ritual involves a morning bath followed by prayer. Devotees then eat a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables, and guava before resuming their fast.

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

#12283602

20 April 2025

On April 19, 2025, several families visit a pumping station located on a highway in the State of Mexico to get wet, swim, and participate in the Holy Week and Holy Saturday celebrations in Mexico. The tradition of getting wet dates back to the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church had several rules to be followed during Lent, including not bathing during Holy Week. Water, as an element of purification, was to be used only until Holy Saturday. At that time, people throw water on each other to purify their souls and wash away their sins. During Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday, everyone gathers to be baptized collectively.

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

#12276296

18 April 2025

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This image contains graphic content) A Catholic penitent in Antipolo City, Philippines, performs self-flagellation in the streets on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. These acts of self-flagellation are a feature of local religious ceremonies aimed at the expiation of past sins. The Catholic Church does not endorse this practice, viewing it as an extreme misapplication of religious belief.

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

#12276297

18 April 2025

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This image contains graphic content) A Catholic penitent in Antipolo City, Philippines, performs self-flagellation in the streets on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. These acts of self-flagellation are a feature of local religious ceremonies aimed at the expiation of past sins. The Catholic Church does not endorse this practice, viewing it as an extreme misapplication of religious belief.

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

#12276298

18 April 2025

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This image contains graphic content) A Catholic penitent in Antipolo City, Philippines, performs self-flagellation in the streets on Good Friday, April 18, 2025. These acts of self-flagellation are a feature of local religious ceremonies aimed at the expiation of past sins. The Catholic Church does not endorse this practice, viewing it as an extreme misapplication of religious belief.

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