"lunar return"

#13211151

18 January 2026

NASA holds a press conference with Artemis II mission specialist Jeremy Hansen as NASA's Artemis II is rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 17, 2026. NASA's integrated SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission are rolled to Launch Pad 39B ahead of the 10-day mission in February 2026, which takes the crew around the Moon and back to Earth.

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#12816596

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816598

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816599

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816601

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816604

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816606

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816607

1 October 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in queue waiting for their turn to enter the Taleju Bhawani Temple on the day of Maha-Nawami in the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12816608

1 October 2025

A Nepali Hindu devotee offers oil-fed lamps to the Taleju Bhawani on the ninth day of the fortnightly festival of Dashain at Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 1, 2025. Taleju Bhawani is brought to the main square of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar on Phulpati day (Monday) and is returned to the main temple on the morning of Bijaya Dashami (October 2). Traditionally falling on the ninth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Asoj according to the lunar calendar, Maha Nawami is marked in the month of October this year. Devotees perform special rituals in honor of Goddess Durga, offering jamara--germinated barley seeds sown on the festival's first day--at various temples and shrines. Additional offerings are also made as part of the celebrations. On Maha Ashtami night, a traditional sacrifice of 54 goats and 54 cows takes place at the main square. It is also on this night that the Kalratri Puja is performed using tantric rituals, symbolizing a prayer for power to govern the state.

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#12729229

8 September 2025

The full moon returns to the partial eclipse phase after its total eclipse during the phenomenon of the Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse as seen in Depok City, Indonesia, on September 8, 2025.

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#12729230

8 September 2025

The full moon returns to the partial eclipse phase after its total eclipse during the phenomenon of the Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse as seen in Depok City, Indonesia, on September 8, 2025.

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#12729231

8 September 2025

The full moon returns to a partial eclipse phase after its total eclipse during the phenomenon of the Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse as seen in Depok City, West Java province, Indonesia, on September 8, 2025.

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#12729232

8 September 2025

The full moon returns to a partial eclipse phase after its total eclipse during the phenomenon of the Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse as seen in Depok City, West Java province, Indonesia, on September 7, 2025.

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#12729233

8 September 2025

The full moon returns to a partial eclipse phase after its total eclipse during the phenomenon of the Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse as seen in Depok City, West Java province, Indonesia, on September 8, 2025.

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#12598014

29 July 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in a queue waiting for their turn to worship and make offerings to the serpent deity on the day of Naag Panchami at Naag Pokhari in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 29, 2025. The fifth day of the bright half-moon of the Shrawan month, as per the lunar calendar, is regarded as Naag Panchami, a day dedicated to serpent deities. People flock to nearby ponds and Naag temples to worship the serpentine deity, marking the start of the festive season in the Himalayan nation. The festival of Naag Panchami is also regarded as a festival to strengthen the bond between humans and nature. On this particular day, farmers do not dig or plough the field; instead, they worship the deity by making idols from the mud of their fields. The serpentine deity is also regarded as the god of water and rain, and according to religious belief, the house where the Naag deity resides is bestowed with wealth and prosperity. According to belief, the age-old tradition of observing the festival started when a farmer in ancient times ploughed the field on the day of Naag Panchami and a family of serpents was killed. The serpent then promised not to spare any of the family members of that farmer after his entire family was killed. The farmer had only a daughter who was also married off; the serpent then went to the girl's house to take revenge and saw the daughter worshipping the serpent deity. The snake, who lost its family, returned, blessing the girl.

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#12598015

29 July 2025

Nepali Hindu devotees stand in a queue waiting for their turn to worship and make offerings to the serpent deity on the day of Naag Panchami at Naag Pokhari in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 29, 2025. The fifth day of the bright half-moon of the Shrawan month, as per the lunar calendar, is regarded as Naag Panchami, a day dedicated to serpent deities. People flock to nearby ponds and Naag temples to worship the serpentine deity, marking the start of the festive season in the Himalayan nation. The festival of Naag Panchami is also regarded as a festival to strengthen the bond between humans and nature. On this particular day, farmers do not dig or plough the field; instead, they worship the deity by making idols from the mud of their fields. The serpentine deity is also regarded as the god of water and rain, and according to religious belief, the house where the Naag deity resides is bestowed with wealth and prosperity. According to belief, the age-old tradition of observing the festival started when a farmer in ancient times ploughed the field on the day of Naag Panchami and a family of serpents was killed. The serpent then promised not to spare any of the family members of that farmer after his entire family was killed. The farmer had only a daughter who was also married off; the serpent then went to the girl's house to take revenge and saw the daughter worshipping the serpent deity. The snake, who lost its family, returned, blessing the girl.

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