Monks light butter lamps on an auspicious night, watched by two fearsome masks, Boudha stupa, Bodhnath, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Pilgrims pour melting butter from their lamps into the yak butter lamps in the monastery, topping them up continually, Lhasa, Tibet, China, Asia

Man lights butter lamps in the early morning inside the Buddhist Deva Dharma Mahavihar temple on the edge of Swayambhunath (Swayambhu) (Monkey Temple) stupa on a hill above Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Woman adding yak butter from her butter lamp to those in the Buddhist temple, Meru Nyingba monastery, Bharkor, Lhasa, Tibet, China, Asia

A monk lights butter lamps on gilded shrine at base of stupa at dawn, Swayambhunath (Swayambhu) (Monkey Temple) Buddhist stupa on a hill overlooking Kathmandu, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nepal, Asia

Butter lamps, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Butter lamps, Swayambhunath temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Butter lamps, Patan, Nepal, Asia

Butter lamps, Swayambhunath temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Butter lamps lit in Mongar Dzong (monastery), built in the 1930s, one of Bhutan's newest dzongs, built without plans or nails, Bhutan, Asia

Joranda monks performing obeisance at temple containing a dhuni, an eternal butter lamp, at dusk, Joranda, Dhenkanal, Orissa, India, Asia

Prayer flags at Mebar Tsho, The Burning Lake, where Pema Lingpa is said to have held a burning butter lamp under the water, Bumthang, Bhutan, Asia

Oil (butter) lamps burning in Hindu temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Joranda monks performing obeisance in prayer at temple containing a dhuni, an eternal butter lamp, at dusk, Joranda, Dhenkanal, Orissa, India, Asia

Joranda monks chanting in ritual prayer at dusk at temple containing dhuni, eternal butter lamp, Joranda, Dhenkanal, Orissa, India, Asia

Oil (butter) lamps burning in Hindu temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Joranda monks performing obeisance in prayer at temple containing a dhuni, an eternal butter lamp, at dusk, Joranda, Orissa, India, Asia

Woman adding the melting yak butter from her lamp to those of the temple, Meru Nyingba monastery, Bharkor, Lhasa, Tibet, China, Asia

Old woman lighting butter lamps in front of Buddha statues draped with new silk scarves, in a small temple, at the Boudha or Bodhnath stupa, Tibetan New Year (Lhosar), Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Meru Nyingba monastery, Bharkor, Lhasa, Tibet, China, Asia

Panorama of Tibetan Buddhist chapel at Drepung monastery, Lhasa, Tibet, China, Asia

Monks light butter lamps on an auspicious night, Boudha stupa, Bodhnath, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Old woman lighting butter lamps in a small temple on the north side of Boudha or Bodhnath stupa, Tibetan New Year (Lhosar), Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Woman selling butter lamps, Patan, Nepal, Asia

Nepal. Ritual, sonam/boom. Lobsangs cremation. Humla. traveler reached of journey! In freedom of infinite he is free from sorrow, fetters that bound thrown away, burning fever of life is no more,oesays dharmapada. Lobsang having spent whole life preparing moment of death, finds liberation on february 14, 1986. Extensive ritual follows cremation-traditionally a forty nine period, sonam lama rattles damaru. A small ritual drum to have origin in - shamanism. damaru, used as a tantric device to summon gods ward evil spirits, once made from human skull bone dreid human skin as a reminder of impermanence of body. Boom lama blows a kangling, a human thigh-bone horn. kangling is used in exorcism is capable of gods demons. Traditionally, best bones a kangling come from brahmans, particularly sixteen-year- brahman girls-or from tigers. On makeshift altar rest chhome, votive lamps filled with butter, cups of water, grains, tormas, holy food made of barley meal decorated with medallions of butter offered to gods. Alone, boom lama continues prayers of deceased

Butter lamp offerings to the Bagmati River flowing next to Brahmayani Temple. Newar Village Women wears "Haku Patasi" to the Temple. (Haku Patasi is garb worn by Newari woman). Bhaktapur, Nepal

Monks offer butter lamps. Bodgaya, india. Monks offer butter lamps in front of mahabodhi temple marks site of buddha’s enlightment twenty-five hundred years. centuries have made pilgrimages across himalayas to sites connected with life of historical buddha. From a tantric perspective, pilgrimage is more than paying homage at sacred sites. Rather, it is that activities performed at these places become a memory of place itself. By attuning oneself through ritual meditation to this timeless presence, similar experiences be evoked

Monks offer butter lamps prayer, kalachakra initiation, bodhgaya. India. Monks attending kalachakra initiation at mahaboudhi temple in bodhgaya, india. mahabodhi temple marks site of buddha’s enlightment twenty-five hundred years. centuries have made pilgrimages across himalayas to sites connected with life of historical buddha. From a tantric perspective, pilgrimage is more than paying homage at sacred sites. Rather, it is that activities performed at these places become a memory of place itself. By attuning oneself through ritual meditation to this timeless presence, similar experiences be evoked

Monks offer butter lamps. Bodgaya, india. Monks offer butter lamps in front of mahabodhi temple marks site of buddhas enlightment twenty-five hundred years. centuries have made pilgrimages across himalayas to sites connected with life of historical buddha. From a tantric perspective, pilgrimage is more than paying homage at sacred sites. Rather, it is that activities performed at these places become a memory of place itself. By attuning oneself through ritual meditation to this timeless presence, similar experiences be evoked

Monks offer butter lamps. Kalachakra initiation, bodhgaya. India. Monks attending kalachakra initiation at mahaboudhi temple in bodhgaya, india. mahabodhi temple marks site of buddhas enlightment twenty-five hundred years. centuries have made pilgrimages across himalayas to sites connected with life of historical buddha. From a tantric perspective, pilgrimage is more than paying homage at sacred sites. Rather, it is that activities performed at these places become a memory of place itself. By attuning oneself through ritual meditation to this timeless presence, similar experiences be evoked

Butter lamps offering inside gompa of Leh Palace. Ladakh, India

Every night, Nightly puja on Dashaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Every night, Nightly puja on Dashaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Woman making offering, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Every night, Nightly puja on Dashaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Every night, Nightly puja on Dashaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Monk filling the butter lamps in readiness for the birthday celebrations of Wenshu, Shuxiang Temple, Mount Wutai, Wutai Shan, Five Terrace Mountain, Buddhist Centre, town of Taihuai, Shanxi province, China

Monk filling the butter lamps in readiness for the birthday celebrations of Wenshu, Shuxiang temple, Mount Wutai, Wutai Shan, Five Terrace Mountain, Buddhist Centre, town of Taihuai, Shanxi province, China

Oil lamps and butter lamps, woman lighting a candle, buddhist ritual, Luohan Temple, buddhist temple downtown, Chongqing, People's Republic of China

Oil lamps and butter lamps, women lighting candles, buddhist ritual, Luohan Temple, buddhist temple downtown, Chongqing, People's Republic of China

Oil lamps and butter lamps, woman lighting a candle, buddhist ritual, Luohan Temple, buddhist temple downtown, Chongqing, People's Republic of China

Butter lamps at the Mahabodhi Temple, place of enlightenment or awakening, "Bodhi" of Siddhartha Gautama, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, Asia

Pilgrim and Tibetan monks refilling the brass bow with yak butter, Samye Monastery, Tibet, China, Asia

A sign indicates the room containing traditional Buddhist butter lamps at the Rumtek Monastery in Gangtok, Sikkim, India, Asia

Rows of traditional Buddhist butter lamps lined up in a storage room at the Rumtek Monastery in Gangtok, Sikkim, India, Asia

Butter lamps during Matho Nagrang festival in Matho monastery, Ladakh, India.