Moraca Monastery, founded in 1252, and Svetigora (Holy Mountain) waterfall, Montenegro, Europe

View of the holy Athos, Greece, Europe

Indian man walks past laundry drying on the steps of Kali Ghat by the The Ganges River in City of Varanasi, Benares, India

Buddhist shrines and prayer flags at the river's edge in a valley in Bhutan.

Russian pilgrims entering the water after Mass and filling water bottles with river water, Christian Orthodox ceremony at Epiphany, River Jordan, Qasr el Yahud, Israel, Middle East

Font, Vienna, Austria, Europe

Bathing in the holy waters of Pura Tirta Empul, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Lourdes holy water, Lourdes, Hautes Pyrenees, France, Europe

Bottles for Lourdes holy water, Lourdes, Hautes Pyrenees, France, Europe

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

The Holy Trinity Church on the bank of the Tirnava Mare River in Sighisoara in the Transylvania region of central Romania, Europe

The Holy Trinity Church on the bank of the Tirnava Mare River in Sighisoara in the Transylvania region of central Romania, Europe

Honduras holy water font in front of catholic church. slum barrio of chamelecon, pedro sula

India the peryar river, where thomas landed before climbing mount malayattoor. Pilgrimage to malayattoor, a hill which saint thomas the apostle is believed to have climbed around 55 ad, leaving his footprints at the top. It is a major pilgrim centre for christians as well as hindus and moslems, who believe the trip can cure them of physical and mental disease. Kerala

Syria, Damascus, Omeyades Mosque, Christian Holy Water Basin

Italy, Rome, Vatican, San Peter, Holy Water Basin

Evening, Tenby Harbour, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK, Europe

Priest baptizing baby girl with water

pilgrim bathing in the sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Tending the Laundry for drying, Dasaswamedh Ghat, in Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Barber shaving the head and beard of a pilgrim, Dashashwamedh ghat (main ghat), in Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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

pilgrim bathing in the sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

pilgrims and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

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

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Baeber shaving the head and beard of a pilgrim, Dashashwamedh ghat (main ghat), in Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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

Bamboo to hold, at its top, baskets with offerings, in Panch Ganga Ghat, Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Garden, Heian Jingu Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

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

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

Fushimi Inari-Taisha sanctuary,Kyoto, Japan

Pilgrims in a boat sailing and praying, Ganges river, in background the ghats, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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

Dashashwamedh ghat (main ghat), in Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Garden, Heian Jingu Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

pilgrim and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

pilgrims and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

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

Volunteers cleaning dishes, Each day eat 60,000 - 80,000 pilgrims in Golden Temple, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Tending the Laundry for drying, Dasaswamedh Ghat, in Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

pilgrim bathing in the sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Kinkakuji temple,golden Pavilion,UNESCO World Heritage Site,Kyoto, Japan

Garden, Heian Jingu Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Namtso lake or Nam tso lake in Tibet China. Nam Tso Lake is the second largest lake in Tibet, and one of the most famous places on the "Roof of the World". The lake itself is located at an altitude of 4,718 m, and has an area of 1,920 km². This lake is the largest of the lakes in the Tibet Autonomous Region, although it is not the largest on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, a title that belongs to Lake Qinghai, more than twice the area of Namtso, which is more than 1,000 km, in the northeast, in Qinghai province.

Muslim man washing his feet at the New Mosque, Eminonu Yeni Camii, Eminonu, Istanbul, Turkey

street scene, in Dasaswamedh Ghat, Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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

pilgrims and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

pilgrim and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Silver Pavilion, in Ginkaku ji temple, Kyoto, Kansai, Japan

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

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

pilgrims and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Tending the Laundry for drying, Dasaswamedh Ghat, in Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

pilgrim and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Kinkakuji temple,golden Pavilion,UNESCO World Heritage Site,Kyoto, Japan

Buffaloes, Lalita ghat, in Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

pilgrims and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

pilgrims and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Golden water fountain, in Kiyomizu-dera temple, Kyoto. Kansai, Japan.

pilgrims and sacred pool Amrit Sarovar, Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Ahilya Bai ghat and Munshi ghat, in Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Access door to Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Golden temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Consacrated water of the city of Lourdes.

Consacrated water in the city of Lourdes.

Shimokamo Shinto Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

Cattle relax in front of mural of Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth and Beaty, on a water tower at Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

antique water vessel, Golden Hall, Jindian Gong, Golden Palace Temple, gilded bronze roof, temple, protected against lightning strikes by an iron cage, peak 1613 metres high, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Aerial view of Corcovado statue at sunset, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America, America

Balinese woman giving offering, spring sanctuary Pura Tirta Empul, Tampaksiring, Bali, Indonesia

Temples on islands along Ganges river, near Bhagalpur, Bihar, India

Water reservoir, garden terraces and Tianzhu Feng monastery village, Mount Wudang, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China

antique water vessel, Golden Hall, Jindian Gong, Golden Palace Temple, gilded bronze roof, temple, protected against lightning strikes by an iron cage, peak 1613 metres high, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

The holy Macchapucchare mountain under full moon and starry sky, Pokhara, Nepal, Asia

Devrayag, town at holy confluence of headstreams of Ganges, Uttarakhand, India, Asia

Locals in a water basin at Tirtha Empul temple, Central Bali, Indonesia, Asia

Nga Phe Chaung Kyaung monastary mirrored in the Inle Lake, Shan State, Burma, Myanmar

Ulu Watu Danu Bratan, temple on an island at Bratan lake, Bali, Indonesia, Asia

Balinese woman giving offering, spring sanctuary Pura Tirta Empul, Tampaksiring, Bali, Indonesia

Pilgrim carrying holy water on his head while dancing, Mysore, Karnataka, India

Pilgrim carrying holy water on his head, Mysore, Karnataka, India

Promenade along the Isar canal and the church of the Holy Spirit, Landshut, Lower Bavaria, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

Incense burner, South Heaven Gate Temple, Buddhist Island of Putuo Shan near Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, East China Sea, China

Pilgrim carrying holy water, gate to Amba Vilas Palace in background, Mysore, Karnataka, India

Sikh pilgrims at holy Hemkund lake, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India, Asia

Interior view of the Russian orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit, Vilnius, Lithuania

White stupas in Mandalay, Myanmar, Burma

Pilgrims in front of the Golden Temple, Sikh holy place, Amritsar, Punjab, India, Asia

Buddha statue in the middle of the lake in the sunlight, Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar, Burma, Asia

Two blue-domed churches, Agios Spiridonas, St Spyridon) and Church of Anastasis, Resurrection, at nightfall, Ia, Oia, Santorini, Greece, Europe