"ancient caste system"

#12389346

20 May 2025

Two senior citizens walk together in the courtyard of Harburg Castle in Harburg, Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, on May 16, 2025. The historic castle complex, dating back to the 11th century, is a popular tourist destination featuring preserved medieval architecture and scenic views.

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#12389347

20 May 2025

Two senior citizens walk together in the courtyard of Harburg Castle in Harburg, Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, on May 16, 2025. The historic castle complex, dating back to the 11th century, is a popular tourist destination featuring preserved medieval architecture and scenic views.

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#12341595

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341597

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341598

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341599

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341600

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341601

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341603

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341604

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341606

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341608

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341610

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341612

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341614

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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#12341616

7 May 2025

Nepali Hindu teenage and adolescent boys undergo the ritualistic tradition of Bratabandha at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2025. Bratabandha is a pivotal coming-of-age Hindu ritual marking a boy's transition into adulthood within Nepali and broader South Asian culture. Also called the ''sacred thread ceremony,'' Bratabandha traces its origins back over 3,000 years, historically marking the end of childhood around age 12 and charging new adults with societal responsibilities. In Nepal, Bratabandha carries enhanced cultural weight amidst the dominant Hindu population. The extensive rituals connect present citizens to ancestral heritage, conferring identity within the ancient caste system through the wearing of the eponymous sacred ''Janai'' threads diagonally crossing the chest. Beyond just familial celebration, communities recognize the oaths of devotion to learning, faith, and dignity boys take, becoming grown men who lead households and perpetuate traditions into the future.

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