Army parade, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Asia

Colorful boat, The Flower Holi Festival, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

Phare Ponleu Selpak Influence show in Battambang, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Good Friday procession, Boac, island of Marinduque, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Traditional dress and procession for tea ceremony, Yasaka jinja shrine, Kyoto city, Honshu island, Japan, Asia

Naga man wearing tiger jaw necklace and headdress made of cane decorated with wild boar teeth and bear fur, dancing at grand finale, Naga New Year Festival, Lahe village, Sagaing Division, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Archers competing at archery festival in Paro, Bhutan

Archers at archery festival, Paro, Bhutan

Participant of the Hornbill Festival, Kohima, Nagaland, India, Asia

Annual festival of anime and manga lovers, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Asia

Women in procession for funeral ceremony, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Procession for funeral ceremony, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Racing buffalo pulling plough at Kota Belud festival in November, Sabah, Malaysia, island of Borneo, Southeast Asia, Asia

Jidai Matsuri, Festival of the Ages, procession, Kyoto city, Honshu, Japan, Asia

Elephants at festival, Surin, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Naga New Year Festival, Naga ladies dancing, Naga New Year Festival, Lahe village, Sagaing Division, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Indian Hindu pilgrims queue to visit the Golden Temple during Festival of Shivaratri in holy city of Varanasi, Northern India

Young girl at village festival at Hagud, India

Men in yukata costume at Autumn Festival, Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture, Japan, Asia

Kavadis holding procession, Festival of Purification, Singapore, Asia

Miao girl in festival hat, Langlin, Guangxi, China, Asia

Ice sculptures in Susukino street, Yuki Matsuri (Snow Festival), Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, Asia

Ice sculptures in Zhaolin Park, Ice Lantern Festival, Bingdeng Jie, Harbin city, Heilongjiang, China, Asia

Archer at archery festival, Paro, Bhutan

Naga tribal group performers standing in line to welcome officials at the Hornbill Festival, Kohima, Nagaland, India, Asia

Tribal ritual dances at the Hornbill Festival, Kohima, Nagaland, India, Asia

Women in procession for funeral ceremony, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Assumption Catholic procession in Battambang, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Indian boys in western clothes at Vishwanatha Temple (Birla Temple) during Festival of Shivaratri in holy city of Varanasi, India

Huge crowds for holy Festival of Shivaratri in the streets of the holy city of Varanasi, Benares, Northern India

Guardians of the volcano, Merapi, Yogyakarta region, island of Java, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Guardians of the volcano, Merapi, Yogyakarta region, island of Java, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Ceremony for archery festival, Tokyo, Japan, Asia

Children dressed up for Galungan, the day before Nyepi holiday, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Indian gondolier, Flower Holi Festival, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

Musicians and spectators at dance and archery festival, Paro, Bhutan

Hagoita Ichi Festival, Japan, Asia

Procession through rice terraces ner Tenganan, eastern region, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tibetans using motorbikes instead of horses, festival, Qinghai Province, China, Asia

Mukkram, Muslim festival, India, Asia

Chak Phra Festival, Songkla, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Loy Kratong parade, Sukhothai, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rocket Festival, Yasothan, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

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

Sadhus rally initiation at ujjain kumbh mela, indi

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

The central market in Leicester, UK.

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

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

Khampa cowboys, tibe

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

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

India - culture: christian margamkali dancers celebrating the arrival of st. Thomas, kerala

Diwali lights in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Sunday markets, dragon, festival. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo, Asia

Asian woman wearing devil's horns

Overhead view of crowd celebrating Paro Festival, Paro, Paro District, Bhutan

Sadhus sleeping, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Sadhu meditating, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Sadhu meditating, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Sadhus praying and begging, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Sadhus begging, in Dashashwamedh Ghat Road , Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Sadhus sleeping, in the ghats of Ganges river, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Lhasa Drepung Monastery Shoton festival or Shodon Festival with the unrolling of the huge thangka, a silk painting depicting Buddha Lhasa Tibet. Yogurt festival.

Japanese Summer Matsuri (Festival)

Young Japanese Couple Wearing Yukata at Summer Festival

Young Japanese Couple Wearing Yukata at Summer Festival

Young Japanese Woman in Summer Yukata

Young Japanese Woman in Summer Yukata

Young Japanese Woman in Summer Yukata

Young Japanese Couple Wearing Yukata at Summer Festival

Young Japanese Woman in Summer Yukata

Young Japanese Couple Wearing Yukata at Summer Festival

Okonomiyaki Stall at Japanese Summer Matsuri

Owarakazenobon, Toyama, Japan

Yosakoi Festival, Kochi, Japan

Sounkyo Hyobaku Festival, Hokkaido, Japan

Owarakazenobon, Toyama, Japan

Shimotsuki Festival, Nagano, Japan

Awaodori, Tokushima, Japan

Awaodori, Tokushima, Japan

Hirosaki Neputa, Aomori, Japan

Owarakazenobon, Toyama, Japan

Yosakoi Festival, Kochi, Japan

Kadayawan Festival dancers

Bagobos Tribes people

Aborigine painting the face of an Asian girl, Face paints, Royal Easter Show, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Aborigine painting the face of an Asian girl, Face paints, Royal Easter Show, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Feux Follet, chinese lights event, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Feux Follet, chinese lights event, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Youth festival, Kallang Theatre, Singapore, Asia

Members of the Asian Youth Orchestra smiling at camera, Mirabell castle and garden, Hohensalzburg Fortress, largest, fully-preserved fortress in central Europe, in background, Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

Japanese wearing yukata carrying portable shrine during Sanja Festival in front of Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

Feux Follet, chinese lights event, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Feux Follet, chinese lights event, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Feux Follet, chinese lights event, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Young woman and child praying, candlelight, Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia

Dancers at a performance during the annual dance festival in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia