Seated Buddha statue with offerings, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Women at the Lakshmi Puja Festival celebrating Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of Wealth and Beauty, India

Giant Buddha in Kamakura, Japan

Young women with offerings, Sanur, Bali, Indonesia, Asia

Loy Kratong festival, Sukhothai, Thailand, Asia

Novice Buddhist monk kneeling beneath the Phra Atchana Buddha statue, Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sukhothai Province, Thailand, Asia

Woman carrying food offerings on her head, celebrating festival of Kuningan, Ubud village, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Statue with flower offering, Odalan, ceremony, at Bataun temple, Bali, Indonesia, Asia

Boy praying at Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Asia

Two novice Buddhist monks with offerings, and Buddha head, Wat Phra Mahathat, Ayuthaya Historical Park, Ayuthaya (Ayutthaya), UNESCO World Heritage Site, central Thailand, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Stall selling fruit and flower garlands for temple offerings, Little India, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Asia

Woman's hands holding world globe

Incense sticks burning in front of Yuantong Temple, Kunming, Yunnan, China, Asia

Shiva Mandir temple, Bengaluru (Bangalore), Karnataka state, India, Asia

Wooden Buddhas, Chatuchak weekend market, Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Seto girl offers wild strawberries to friends, Feast Day, Uusvada, Setomaa, SE Estonia, Europe

Novice monk with offering of flowers, and Buddha head in Wat Phra Mahathat, Ayuthaya (Ayutthaya) Historical Park, Ayuthaya (Ayutthaya), UNESCO World Heritage Site, central Thailand, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Giant incense sticks, Chinese moon festival, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Akash Deep Puja, sky lantern festival on the Ganges (Ganga) River bank, Varanasi (Benares) Uttar Pradesh State, India

Shrine, Pak Tai Temple, Stanley, Hong Kong, China, Asia

Spices for sale on market in the Rue Ste. Claire, Annecy, Haute Savoie, Rhone-Alpes, France, Europe

Maldivian woman offering a plate of grilled fish, Maldives, Indian Ocean, Asia

Wong Tai Sin Temple, Wong Tai Sin district, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China, Asia

Woman with incense inside a temple, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, Indochina, Asia

Buddhist Todai-ji Temple, image of Binzuru - touching it is supposed to cure illness, Nara, Japan

Woman's hands with world globe

Giant incense sticks, Chinese moon festival, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Woman with candle and incense offerings, Big Goose Pagoda temple, Xian, Shaanxi Province, China, Asia

Piles of rice harvested throughout the valley in October in the courtyard of Rato Machendranath temple in Patan, a pagoda with three tiers, close to Kathmandu, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nepal, Asia

Seated Buddha statue inside Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok, Thailand

Buddha statues, Ayuthaya, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Cultivated roses, grown in the Dades Valley region, High Atlas, Morocco, North Africa

Buddha statues, Ayuthaya, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Peace Park, Nagasaki, Kyushu Region, Japan, Asia

Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) (Wat Phra Chetuphon), Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Grave of Eva Peron (Evita), Cementerio de la Recoleta, Cemetery in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America

Temple offerings, Mount Batur area, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan

Altar at Chinese temple, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Paasaat offerings, Pha That Luang Temple, Vientiane, Laos, Indochina, Asia

Peace Statue by Seibo Kitamura in the Peace Park, Nagasaki, Kyushu Region, Japan, Asia

Horyu-ji Temple Pagoda, Nara, Kansai, Japan

Burning incense on religious holiday, Chinatown, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Buddhist monks collecting alms in the early morning, Luang Prabang, Laos, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Atomic Bomb Hypocenter (detonation point), Nagasaki, Kyushu Region, Japan, Asia

Water craft by the reservoir at Sand Hollow State Park, near St George, Utah, USA. The 20,000 acre park opened in 2003 and offers boating, off road vehicle trails and hiking..

A boy places offerings to the Buddha, Shwedagon Paya (Shwe Dagon pagoda), Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Plates of Moroccan salad, traditional first course in restaurants, Marrakesh (Marrakech), Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Coloured fabric tied around trees, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

A dye trader offers his brightly coloured wares in a roadside stall in Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Water craft by the reservoir at Sand Hollow State Park, near St George, Utah, USA. The 20,000 acre park opened in 2003 and offers boating, off road vehicle trails and hiking..

Reclining Buddha, Ayuthaya, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Buddhist temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, Asia

Buddha statues, Ayuthaya, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

The leaves of the palm trees hide the sky over Valley Church Beach that offers white sands in the waters of Lignum Vitae Bay, Antigua, West Indies, Caribbean, Central America

Water lily and Reclining Buddha, Ayuthaya, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Buddhist shrine, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia

Buddha statue in grotto, Tanzhe Temple, Beijing, China, Asia

Buddha Park, Xieng Khuan, Vientiane, Laos, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

A suchil, a religious offering, Botanical Gardens, San Miguel de Allende (San Miguel), Guanajuato State, Mexico, North America

Sukhothai Traimit, solid gold Buddha, 15 feet high and weighing 5.5 tons, Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tomb of Horemheb, Valley of the Kings, Thebes, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Egypt, North Africa

Buddhist monk offers water blessing near Prasat Bayon, Angkor Thom, Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Chalk board restaurant menu of La Bottega di Giovannino with local specialities on offer in Radda-in-Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

A line of women at a ceremony for the ordination of Buddhist monks, Bagan (Pagan), Myanmar (Burma), Asia

For Sale, Under Offer and Sold signs, West Hampstead, London, UK

Young monk offers flowers, Aukana Buddha, 39 ft high, Sri Lanka, Asia

Statues of the Buddha, Angkor Wat, dating from between 1113 and 1150 AD, Angkor, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Ribbons tied for children, money or personal object offered, Kunya Urgench, Turkmenistan, Central Asia, Asia

Easter Sunday, Lima, Peru, South America

Ceremony at Hindu Temple, Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh state, India, Asia

Wearing tree bark cloth masks and skirts, dancers representing fish spirits are invited during the season of the peach palm harvest to drink the juice. it is a feast and ritual exchange: the host group offers the spirits large quantities of peach palm juice, smoked meat and fish, and shaman-blessed coca and snuff. the visitors are the costumed dancers impersonating animal spirits. people eat the meat and fish, animal spirits receive the fruits of peach palm, which are cultivated, harvested, and processed by humans. this exchange expresses the idea that people and animals depend on each other for survival and reproduction. vaupes basin, eastern colombia amazon, population: 600

The idea of the interconnectedness of all things is central to the tribal way of looking at the world. practical knowledge of the environment, of crops and medicines, of hunting and fishing, is a byproduct of it. the makuna believe that human beings, animals, and all of nature are parts of the same one. animals and fish live in their own communities, which are just like human communities, with their chiefs, their shamans, their dance houses, their songs, and their material possessions. when human peoples dance in this world, the shaman invites the animal people to dance in theirs. if humans do not dance and shamans do not offer spirit food to the animal people, the animals will die out and there will be no more game left in the world. for the makuna the radical disjunction so characteristic of western thought between nature and culture, men and animals, dissolves. eastern colombia amazon, vaupes region, population: 600

Horse milk is sprinkled into the four directions, as offerings to the nature spirits of the area, the sadak, or ?owners Of the earth.? Sometimes vodka is used instead, or as well. Milk is sacred to the mongol shamans, who believe that life on earth is descended from beings who originally came here on winged horses. Here two young female shamans make the offering in a ritual manner. Countryside mongols make this offering every morning on waking up; they usually also offer smoke, that the wind carries around the world as a prayer for harmony and prosperity. 13th century national park, tov province, mongolia. 13th century national park comprises chinggis khan's giant statue museum and live museum "town from 13 century". The ancient nomadic mini kingdom is located in the distance of 130 km east of ulaanbaatar in area of erdene zuu of tov province. It takes 2 hours driving on paved road. In the live 13th century kingdom one will see and experience the authentic lifestyle of mongols, who were lived in powerful mongol empire?s Period. This place gives you a same feeling that famous traveler marco polo and william rubruck felt once upon time

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

Horse milk is sprinkled into the four directions, as offerings to the nature spirits of the area, the sadak, or ?owners Of the earth.? Sometimes vodka is used instead, or as well. Milk is sacred to the mongol shamans, who believe that life on earth is descended from beings who originally came here on winged horses. Here two young female shamans make the offering in a ritual manner. Countryside mongols make this offering every morning on waking up; they usually also offer smoke, that the wind carries around the world as a prayer for harmony and prosperity. 13th century national park, tov province, mongolia. 13th century national park comprises chinggis khan's giant statue museum and live museum "town from 13 century". The ancient nomadic mini kingdom is located in the distance of 130 km east of ulaanbaatar in area of erdene zuu of tov province. It takes 2 hours driving on paved road. In the live 13th century kingdom one will see and experience the authentic lifestyle of mongols, who were lived in powerful mongol empire?s Period. This place gives you a same feeling that famous traveler marco polo and william rubruck felt once upon time

Horse milk is sprinkled into the four directions, as offerings to the nature spirits of the area, the sadak, or ?owners Of the earth.? Sometimes vodka is used instead, or as well. Milk is sacred to the mongol shamans, who believe that life on earth is descended from beings who originally came here on winged horses. Here two young female shamans make the offering in a ritual manner. Countryside mongols make this offering every morning on waking up; they usually also offer smoke, that the wind carries around the world as a prayer for harmony and prosperity. 13th century national park, tov province, mongolia. 13th century national park comprises chinggis khan's giant statue museum and live museum "town from 13 century". The ancient nomadic mini kingdom is located in the distance of 130 km east of ulaanbaatar in area of erdene zuu of tov province. It takes 2 hours driving on paved road. In the live 13th century kingdom one will see and experience the authentic lifestyle of mongols, who were lived in powerful mongol empire?s Period. This place gives you a same feeling that famous traveler marco polo and william rubruck felt once upon time

Horse milk is sprinkled into the four directions, as offerings to the nature spirits of the area, the sadak, or ?owners Of the earth.? Sometimes vodka is used instead, or as well. Milk is sacred to the mongol shamans, who believe that life on earth is descended from beings who originally came here on winged horses. Here two young female shamans make the offering in a ritual manner. Countryside mongols make this offering every morning on waking up; they usually also offer smoke, that the wind carries around the world as a prayer for harmony and prosperity. 13th century national park, tov province, mongolia. 13th century national park comprises chinggis khan's giant statue museum and live museum "town from 13 century". The ancient nomadic mini kingdom is located in the distance of 130 km east of ulaanbaatar in area of erdene zuu of tov province. It takes 2 hours driving on paved road. In the live 13th century kingdom one will see and experience the authentic lifestyle of mongols, who were lived in powerful mongol empire?s Period. This place gives you a same feeling that famous traveler marco polo and william rubruck felt once upon time

Horse milk is sprinkled into the four directions, as offerings to the nature spirits of the area, the sadak, or ?owners Of the earth.? Sometimes vodka is used instead, or as well. Milk is sacred to the mongol shamans, who believe that life on earth is descended from beings who originally came here on winged horses. Here two young female shamans make the offering in a ritual manner. Countryside mongols make this offering every morning on waking up; they usually also offer smoke, that the wind carries around the world as a prayer for harmony and prosperity. 13th century national park, tov province, mongolia. 13th century national park comprises chinggis khan's giant statue museum and live museum "town from 13 century". The ancient nomadic mini kingdom is located in the distance of 130 km east of ulaanbaatar in area of erdene zuu of tov province. It takes 2 hours driving on paved road. In the live 13th century kingdom one will see and experience the authentic lifestyle of mongols, who were lived in powerful mongol empire?s Period. This place gives you a same feeling that famous traveler marco polo and william rubruck felt once upon time

Horse milk is sprinkled into the four directions, as offerings to the nature spirits of the area, the sadak, or ?owners Of the earth.? Sometimes vodka is used instead, or as well. Milk is sacred to the mongol shamans, who believe that life on earth is descended from beings who originally came here on winged horses. Here two young female shamans make the offering in a ritual manner. Countryside mongols make this offering every morning on waking up; they usually also offer smoke, that the wind carries around the world as a prayer for harmony and prosperity. 13th century national park, tov province, mongolia. 13th century national park comprises chinggis khan's giant statue museum and live museum "town from 13 century". The ancient nomadic mini kingdom is located in the distance of 130 km east of ulaanbaatar in area of erdene zuu of tov province. It takes 2 hours driving on paved road. In the live 13th century kingdom one will see and experience the authentic lifestyle of mongols, who were lived in powerful mongol empire?s Period. This place gives you a same feeling that famous traveler marco polo and william rubruck felt once upon time

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

Tens of thousands of buddhist pilgrims from around the world traveled to bodhgaya, a town in northern india, to hear exiled tibetan spiritual leader hh dalai lama give the kalachakra-religious teachings. Pilgrims offer holy kusha grass (amrisso). Kalachakra initiation in bodhgaya, bihar, india

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

Healthcare, uk. South london. The charity mainliners offers acupuncture therapy to ex-drug addicts at a centre

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

Pilgrims praying and bathing, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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

Pilgrims praying and bathing, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Wishing plates at Fushimi Inari-Taisha sanctuary,Kyoto, Japan

Pilgrims praying and bathing, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Pilgrims making a ritual offering and praying, ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Wishing plates at Fushimi Inari-Taisha sanctuary,Kyoto, Japan

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

Pilgrims praying, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Aerial view of Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Red lagoon near Boca Paila Bridge. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.

A man praying, in the ghats of Ganges river, 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