Buddhist monks praying during the celebration of Losar (Tibetan New Year), Bodhnath, Katmandu, Nepal

Buddhist people throwing flour into the air, symbolising the Buddha's wisdom, during the Losar (Tibetan New Year), Bodhnath, Katmandu, Nepal

A roving band entertain the crowd during Holi festival celebrations, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Westerners covered in coloured powder during Holi festival celebrations, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Westerners covered in coloured powder during Holi festival celebrations, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Women apply string to the Holi chir, a traditional morning ceremony, during Holi festival celebrations, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Two men exchange coloured powder during Holi festival celebrations, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

A crowd gathers in Basantapur Durbar Square to celebrate the Holi festival, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Man with face painted at the Holi Festival, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Crowd throwing pigment at the Holi Festival, Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Crowd throwing pigment at the Holi Festival, Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Sa-Paru Gaijatra Festival, Durbar Square, Bhaktapur, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bagmati, Central Region, Nepal, Asia

Sa-Paru Gaijatra Festival, Taumadhi Square, Bhaktapur, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bagmati, Central Region, Nepal, Asia

People walking round base of stupa during Lhosar, the Tibetan and Sherpa New Year festival, Bodhnath Buddhist Stupa, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bagmati, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Sa-Paru Gaijatra Festival, Durbar Square, Bhaktapur, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bagmati, Central Region, Nepal, Asia

Hindu festival, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Sadhus (holy men), Shivaratri festival, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Shivaratri festival, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Kids with faces painted at the Holi Festival, Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Nepalese traditional dance, Festival of Nepal, Grande Pagode de Vincennes, Paris, France, Europe

Boy being thrown in the air during the Holi Pigment Throwing festival in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Women of Nepal celebrate Teej, a festival which blesses the men in their lives, Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Women of Nepal celebrate Teej, a festival which blesses the men in their lives, Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Tibetan family in traditional clothes, Lhosar Tibetan and Sherpa New Year festival, Bodhnath Buddhist stupa, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal, Asia

Smoke rising from cremation ceremony on banks of Bagmati River during Shivaratri festival, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Woman praying at the Holi Festival, Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Locals in colorful clothes enjoy a sunny festival day around the temples and architecture of Bhaktapur, Nepal, Asia

Tibetan mother and son in traditional clothes at Lhosar (Tibetan and Sherpa New Year) festival, Bodhnath stupa, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bagmati, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Hindu festival, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Girl at Kumari (living goddess) festival, Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Mother and daughter stand in temple doorway at Kumari (living goddess) festival, Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Portriat of a young girl, Kumari (Living Goddess festival), Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Smoke rising from cremation ceremony on banks of Bagmati River during Shivaratri festival, Pashupatinath Temple, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Family at window to watch festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal

Hindu festival, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Hindu festival, especially for women, Bhaktapur (Bhadgaun), Nepal, Asia

A woman praying during Lhosar (Tibetan and Sherpa New Year festival), Bodhnath Stupa, Bagmati, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Lhosar (Tibetan and Sherpa New Year festival), Bodhnath Stupa, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bagmati, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Shivaratri festival, Pashupatinath Temple, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Damai, tailor caste of nepal, playing music on celebration of jania purnima festival humla, north-west nepal

Fire ritual at chiwang monastery during the mani rimdu festival. these monks circumambulate the pyre after its ignition. one holds a long book wrapped in a felicitous scarf. the purifying fire takes the offering and raises them towards the sky in smoke. the circumambulatory ritual also recalls the way disciples showed respect for the buddhas body. solu khumbu, nepal

Monk beating traditional drum called gong, int he courtyard of chiwang monastery during mani rimdu festival. chiwang monastery, solu khumbu, nepal

Mani mask dancers at mani festival marks setting in of spring season in humla. masked dances diversion a long-established part of bonpo religious ceremonies.Dance Is means by which supernatural forces be brought down to world of. Dance recalls a time when distance between spirits samll. Humla, north-west nepal

A solitary mask dancer appears wearing a frightening mask and silk brocade. they circle the courtyard with sprightly leaps. called protectors of faith, or dharmapdla, the origins of figures like these can be traced back to the pre-aryan peoples of india. originally known as yaksas (literally, a wondrous thing), they were tree spirits, who were accepted by the buddhists as defenders of the faith. in nepal and tibet, as in india, local deities were converted into protectors. a devotee of an alien sect devised a means to humiliate the buddha and his disciples. the buddha discovered it and succeeded in converting him to his teaching. due to lack of wisdom, the buddha remarked, some could not realize the goodness of his disciples and he compared the ignorant to the blind and the wise to those who have eyes.nobody is condemned in buddhism, for greatness is latent even in the seemingly lowliest just as lotuses spring from muddy ponds. -the dhammapada. solu khumbu, nepal

Sang sang rimpoche uses the dorje, a sacred ritual object to make the first decisive cut into the sand mandala on the last day of the mani rimdu festival. chiwang monastery, solu khumbu, nepal. solu khumbu, nepal

A view of Swayambhu Stupa with full moon marks the 2554 years of Lord Gautam Buddha's birth. Nepalese and Tibetan pilgrims lit lamp at the Stupa with the hopes of peace in country. Despite of the on going political turmoil about non-formation of Constitution, Buddha Jayanti (Buddha's birthday) was celebrated throughout the nation in peace. Kathmandu, Nepal. 2010-May-27

The Boudhanath Stupa, one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nepal, Asia

Some religious people reach Brahmayani temple measuring their body length. To do so, a person prostrates on the ground and extends his clasped hands above his head. An assistant puts a few grains of rice at the end of the clasped hands as a marking point. Then, the man steps to this marking point and then prostrates again. Bhaktapur, Nepal

Cremation ceremony on banks of Bagmati River at Shivaratri festival, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Buddhist monks at the Boudhanath Stupa, one of the holiest Buddist sites in Kathmandu, during a buddist festival, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Some religious people reach Brahmayani temple measuring their body length. To do so, a person prostrates on the ground and extends his clasped hands above his head. An assistant puts a few grains of rice at the end of the clasped hands as a marking point. Then, the man steps to this marking point and then prostrates again. Bhaktapur, Nepal

Black dancers norbutse- black dance, known as magyu tshogcham, depicts eight goddesses manifestation of dakini kyema wotsho, nepal

The Boudhanath Stupa, one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nepal, Asia

Cremation ceremony on banks of Bagmati River at Shivaratri festival, Pashupatinath Temple, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Sadhus (Holy men) at Shivaratri festival, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

The Boudhanath Stupa, one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nepal, Asia

Pashupatinath Temple during Shivaratri festival, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Bisket Jatra Festival, Nepalese New Year, Bakthapur, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Priest with big sword sacrificing water buffalo, Hindu festival Dashain, Gorakhnath temple, Gorkha, Gorkha District, Nepal, Asia

Participants of the colour run, part of the Holi festival celebrations, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

The colour run, part of the Holi festival celebrations, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Brightly-coloured sacs of powder at a market, Tihar Festival, five-day festival of light and colour, celebrated annually in October to honour animals, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Local people waiting with roosters for sacrifice, The Khadga Devi Mandir Temple, Darsain Hindu Festival, Bandipur, Tanahun, Nepal, Asia

Scene from the Balkumari Jatra festival celebrating the Nepalese New Year, Thimi, Bhaktapur, Nepal, Asia

Wheel of a ceremonial chariot for the Bisket Jatra Festival in front of Bhairabnath Temple, Taumadhi Tole square, Bhaktapur, Nepal, Asia

Color powder, for sale at a market for religious rituals at the festival of Divalion, Kathmandu, Nepal, South Asia

Color powder, for sale at a market for religious rituals at the festival of Divalion, Kathmandu, Nepal, South Asia

Color powder, for sale at a market for religious rituals at the festival of Divalion, Kathmandu, Nepal, South Asia

Color powder, for sale at a market for religious rituals at the festival of Divalion, Kathmandu, Nepal, South Asia

Color powder, for sale at a market for religious rituals at the festival of Divalion, Kathmandu, Nepal, South Asia

Sang Sang Rimpoche initiates Mani Rimdu festival at Chiwang Monastery.Solu Khumbu, Nepal.

Buddhist monks dance during annual Tiji festival in Lo Manthang, capital of the remote Kingdom of Mustang, Nepal.

A monk dressed in traditional costume dances during annual planting festival called Tiji. Lo Manthang, the capital of the remote Nepal region called the Kingdom of Mustang.

Offering Dish, A Buddhist Deity, Nepalese New Year Festival, Bahktapur, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Young people pulling the strings to hoist the mast at the traditional Bisket Jatra Festival in Napalese New Year, Bhaktapur, Nepal

Elephants dressed, Elephant festival Chitwan Nepal