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Added on the 14/01/2020 20:01:21 - Copyright : AFP EN
Hindu pilgrims brace the cold to take a dip in the Ganges in India before sunrise on the day of the Kumbh Mela -- a religious festival that attracts millions each time it is held. Despite India having the second largest number of coronavirus infections in the world -- and more than 150,000 deaths -- that has not stopped devout Hindus from making the pilgrimage. IMAGES
Tens of thousands of Hindus take a dip in an Indian river during a festival, believing it will cleanse them of their sins. Yiming Woo reports.
Kolkata, Oct 6 (EFE/EPA).- Thousands of Hindu devotees on Wednesday took a dip in the river Ganges, considered holy in the religion, to mark the beginning of the festival to worship the goddess Durga, especially popular in India's eastern Bengal province.In Bengal this ritual - known as Mahalaya - has a special importance as it marks the beginning of their biggest festival Durga Puja.Bengalis of all ages, social standing and genders thronged to the banks of Ganges early Monday to offer prayers and bathe in the river to pay their respects to their ancestors. (Camera: PIYAL ADHIKARY). SHOT LIST: HINDU DEVOTEES TAKE PART IN THE 'TARPAN' RITUAL DURING MAHALAYA PRAYERS FOR PITRU PAKSHA, ON THE BANK OF THE GANGES AMID OF COVID CRISIS IN KOLKATA, EASTERN INDIA.
Cairo, May 1 (EFE/EPA).- On the eve of Easter Sunday, worshippers flocked to churches in Cairo to mark Holy Saturday. Orthodox Christian believers mark the Holy Week of Easter in celebration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The mass is celebrated at the end of 40 days of Christian fasting.The Christian community represents ten per cent of the Egyptian population of 90 million people. (Camera: KHALED ELFIQI). SHOT LIST: PEOPLE ATTEND AN EASTER SERVICE AT THE CHURCH IN HELIOPOLIS IN CAIRO, EGYPT.
Kolkata, Jan 13 (EFE/EPA).- Thousands of Hindu pilgrims on Wednesday gather for an annual holy dip in the icy cold waters of an island in eastern India to mark the end of winter solstice, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hindu devotees every year during this time bathe in what they believe sacred waters of the Ganga Sagar island that marks the point where the Ganges river, considered holy by Hindus, meets the sea.The pilgrims now gather for the Ganga Sagar festival that begins on Jan. 13 at the island, located some 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Kolkata, in the Ganges delta. Ganga Sagar is one of India's most coveted pilgrimages and every year millions of devout Hindus travel to the Gangasagar fair - the largest annual gathering of devotees in India and the second largest overall among Hindus, after the Kumbh Mela - on the Sagar Island, in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. (Camera: PIYAL ADHIKARY). SHOT LIST: GOVERNMENT HEALTH STAFF COLLECT SWAB OF A HINDU PILGRIMS FOR A COVID-19 RAPID TEST AT A TEMPORARY HOSPITAL NEAR THE BAY OF BENGAL AT SAGAR ISLAND, AND PILGRIMS ARRIVING FOR THE SECOND DAY OF GANGA SAGAR FAIR ON SAGAR ISLAND, SOUTH OF KOLKATA, INDIA.
A bizarre ritual in the Indian village of Bhidawad sees scores of men lie down on the road while a herd of cattle is driven right over them. Crowds stand on either side, forcing the cows to travel over a narrow path where the worshippers lie. The men willingly get trampled by cows and bulls because they believe this act will cleanse them of their troubles and bless them with prosperity.
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