"ash marks"

#13320540

14 February 2026

Pashupatinath Temple is seen on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320541

14 February 2026

Pashupatinath Temple is seen on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320542

14 February 2026

Pashupatinath Temple is seen on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320543

14 February 2026

A Hindu sadhu sits and looks on at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320544

14 February 2026

A Hindu sadhu smokes marijuana at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320545

14 February 2026

A Hindu sadhu sits and looks on at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320546

14 February 2026

A Hindu sadhu sits and looks on at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320547

14 February 2026

A Hindu sadhu sits and looks on at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320548

14 February 2026

A Hindu sadhu smokes marijuana at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320549

14 February 2026

A Hindu sadhu plays a traditional instrument at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320550

14 February 2026

A Hindu sadhu adjusts a bonfire at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320551

14 February 2026

Devotees visit Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026, on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#13320552

14 February 2026

The Armed Police Force Nepal patrols the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 14, 2026, on the eve of the Maha Shivaratri festival. Thousands of Hindu sadhus and devotees from Nepal and India gather at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple complex to observe the annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival is marked by prayers, meditation, sacred ash rituals, and all-night vigils ahead of the main day of worship.

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#12683363

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.

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#12683364

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.

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#12683365

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.

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