"of devotion"

#13869769

22 Jun 2026

Kashmiri Pandit devotees participate in a devotional bhajan session during a religious festival at Kheer Bhawani temple in Tullamulla Ganderbal, 28 kilometers northeast of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on June 22, 2026. Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit devotees attend prayers at the Kheer Bhawani Temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kheer Bhawani, in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir. Amid heightened security arrangements and precautionary measures, thousands of pilgrims, including Kashmiri Pandits and devotees from across India, gather at the sacred shrine to offer prayers and seek blessings during the annual Kheer Bhawani festival.

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#13870010

22 Jun 2026

A woman kisses an icon of Saint Sava inside the Saint Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 17, 2026.

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#13870003

22 Jun 2026

Worshippers attend a religious service inside the Saint Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 17, 2026.

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#13869973

22 Jun 2026

Women inside the Saint Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 17, 2026.

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#13870006

22 Jun 2026

A woman is inside Saint Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 17, 2026.

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#13870052

22 Jun 2026

A woman is inside Saint Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 17, 2026.

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#13867928

21 Jun 2026

NACHIKATSUURA, JAPAN - JUNE 19: A pilgrim wearing a backpack stands from behind to offer a quiet prayer before the wooden altar of an auxiliary sub-shrine near Mount Nachi in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, on June 19, 2026. The mid-range perspective captures the sacred space heavily decorated with traditional wooden votive tablets (ema) and paper charms hanging from the eaves, while an ornamental round stone rests atop an offering container filled with prayer slips in the foreground, guiding outdoor tourists through ancient purification rituals along the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kumano Kodo pilgrimage network.

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#13867889

21 Jun 2026

NACHIKATSUURA, JAPAN - JUNE 19: A person places a wooden prayer stick into a sacred incense and fire brazier in the foreground while worshippers pray before the main pavilion of Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, on June 19, 2026. The vivid vermilion-red Shinto sanctuary stands in the background as spiritual pilgrims and outdoor tourists ring the heavy suzu bells and offer coins to the deities, participating in ancient cleansing and devotional rituals along the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kii Mountain Range pilgrimage network.

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#13867894

21 Jun 2026

NACHIKATSUURA, JAPAN - JUNE 19: Framed by the geometric under-eaves of a prominent vermilion gateway structure in the foreground, spiritual pilgrims and outdoor tourists walk across the gravel courtyard of Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, on June 19, 2026. This dynamic, low-angle perspective highlights the complex traditional tiled gables of the main worship pavilions nestled against a backdrop of densely forested mountain slopes, leading visitors past a temporary Chinowa purification gate to engage in ancient devotional rituals within the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kii Mountain Range pilgrimage network.

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#13867895

21 Jun 2026

NACHIKATSUURA, JAPAN - JUNE 19: A young couple stands from behind, offering prayers at the main worship altar of the vibrant vermilion-red pavilion at Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, on June 19, 2026. The view of the Shinto sanctuary, showcasing its meticulously carved gables, gold chrysanthemums emblems, ornate hanging lanterns, and heavy suzu bell ropes, where modern tourists and spiritual pilgrims carry out centuries-old traditions of worship along the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kii Mountain Range pilgrimage network.

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#13858697

20 Jun 2026

Nepali devotees light haystacks and carry straw torches as they participate in the procession welcoming the idol of the Rato Machhindranath Festival back to Bungamati, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026, after the completion of Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel. The ritual marks the final return journey of the rain deity to his temple, with fires lit along the route, especially near the Nakkhu bridge, as a symbolic gesture of devotion, purification, and protection. The procession is part of one of the longest and most significant Newar festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, where the towering wooden chariot of Rato Machhindranath is pulled through historic settlements including Pulchowk, Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel, and Bungamati, requiring coordinated effort from local guthis and community groups. The festival concludes with Bhoto Jatra, the ceremonial display of the sacred jewel-studded vest (bhoto), a ritual rooted in legend. According to oral tradition, the bhoto is linked to serpent king Karkotak, who rewarded a farmer for curing the queen's eye ailment. After a dispute over ownership, the vest was entrusted to Machhindranath and has been publicly displayed each year for anyone with proof of ownership to claim it. Despite centuries of tradition, no claimant has ever successfully established ownership.

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#13858698

20 Jun 2026

Nepali devotees light haystacks and carry straw torches as they participate in the procession welcoming the idol of the Rato Machhindranath Festival back to Bungamati, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026, after the completion of Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel. The ritual marks the final return journey of the rain deity to his temple, with fires lit along the route, especially near the Nakkhu bridge, as a symbolic gesture of devotion, purification, and protection. The procession is part of one of the longest and most significant Newar festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, where the towering wooden chariot of Rato Machhindranath is pulled through historic settlements including Pulchowk, Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel, and Bungamati, requiring coordinated effort from local guthis and community groups. The festival concludes with Bhoto Jatra, the ceremonial display of the sacred jewel-studded vest (bhoto), a ritual rooted in legend. According to oral tradition, the bhoto is linked to serpent king Karkotak, who rewarded a farmer for curing the queen's eye ailment. After a dispute over ownership, the vest was entrusted to Machhindranath and has been publicly displayed each year for anyone with proof of ownership to claim it. Despite centuries of tradition, no claimant has ever successfully established ownership.

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#13858699

20 Jun 2026

Nepali devotees light haystacks and carry straw torches as they participate in the procession welcoming the idol of the Rato Machhindranath Festival back to Bungamati, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026, after the completion of Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel. The ritual marks the final return journey of the rain deity to his temple, with fires lit along the route, especially near the Nakkhu bridge, as a symbolic gesture of devotion, purification, and protection. The procession is part of one of the longest and most significant Newar festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, where the towering wooden chariot of Rato Machhindranath is pulled through historic settlements including Pulchowk, Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel, and Bungamati, requiring coordinated effort from local guthis and community groups. The festival concludes with Bhoto Jatra, the ceremonial display of the sacred jewel-studded vest (bhoto), a ritual rooted in legend. According to oral tradition, the bhoto is linked to serpent king Karkotak, who rewarded a farmer for curing the queen's eye ailment. After a dispute over ownership, the vest was entrusted to Machhindranath and has been publicly displayed each year for anyone with proof of ownership to claim it. Despite centuries of tradition, no claimant has ever successfully established ownership.

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#13858700

20 Jun 2026

Nepali devotees light haystacks and carry straw torches as they participate in the procession welcoming the idol of the Rato Machhindranath Festival back to Bungamati, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026, after the completion of Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel. The ritual marks the final return journey of the rain deity to his temple, with fires lit along the route, especially near the Nakkhu bridge, as a symbolic gesture of devotion, purification, and protection. The procession is part of one of the longest and most significant Newar festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, where the towering wooden chariot of Rato Machhindranath is pulled through historic settlements including Pulchowk, Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel, and Bungamati, requiring coordinated effort from local guthis and community groups. The festival concludes with Bhoto Jatra, the ceremonial display of the sacred jewel-studded vest (bhoto), a ritual rooted in legend. According to oral tradition, the bhoto is linked to serpent king Karkotak, who rewarded a farmer for curing the queen's eye ailment. After a dispute over ownership, the vest was entrusted to Machhindranath and has been publicly displayed each year for anyone with proof of ownership to claim it. Despite centuries of tradition, no claimant has ever successfully established ownership.

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#13858701

20 Jun 2026

Nepali devotees light haystacks and carry straw torches as they participate in the procession welcoming the idol of the Rato Machhindranath Festival back to Bungamati, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026, after the completion of Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel. The ritual marks the final return journey of the rain deity to his temple, with fires lit along the route, especially near the Nakkhu bridge, as a symbolic gesture of devotion, purification, and protection. The procession is part of one of the longest and most significant Newar festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, where the towering wooden chariot of Rato Machhindranath is pulled through historic settlements including Pulchowk, Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel, and Bungamati, requiring coordinated effort from local guthis and community groups. The festival concludes with Bhoto Jatra, the ceremonial display of the sacred jewel-studded vest (bhoto), a ritual rooted in legend. According to oral tradition, the bhoto is linked to serpent king Karkotak, who rewarded a farmer for curing the queen's eye ailment. After a dispute over ownership, the vest was entrusted to Machhindranath and has been publicly displayed each year for anyone with proof of ownership to claim it. Despite centuries of tradition, no claimant has ever successfully established ownership.

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#13858702

20 Jun 2026

Nepali devotees light haystacks and carry straw torches as they participate in the procession welcoming the idol of the Rato Machhindranath Festival back to Bungamati, Lalitpur, on June 20, 2026, after the completion of Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel. The ritual marks the final return journey of the rain deity to his temple, with fires lit along the route, especially near the Nakkhu bridge, as a symbolic gesture of devotion, purification, and protection. The procession is part of one of the longest and most significant Newar festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, where the towering wooden chariot of Rato Machhindranath is pulled through historic settlements including Pulchowk, Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Lagankhel, and Bungamati, requiring coordinated effort from local guthis and community groups. The festival concludes with Bhoto Jatra, the ceremonial display of the sacred jewel-studded vest (bhoto), a ritual rooted in legend. According to oral tradition, the bhoto is linked to serpent king Karkotak, who rewarded a farmer for curing the queen's eye ailment. After a dispute over ownership, the vest was entrusted to Machhindranath and has been publicly displayed each year for anyone with proof of ownership to claim it. Despite centuries of tradition, no claimant has ever successfully established ownership.

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