festival

ceremony · hills

The Jeetu Bagdwal festival begins with a traditional havan, as villagers gather in the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand to honour a revered folk hero and local deity.

Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand·ceremony · hills

An aerial view captures Rung tribals from Dugtu village carrying two sacred tree trunks through the forest from neighbouring Baling village during the Syang Sye Mahapuja in the Darma Valley of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand·temple · ceremony

Devotees carry a ceremonial palanquin on their shoulders along the route to Madhyamaheshwar Temple in Uttarakhand. Along the way, people ring bells as the procession moves towards the shrine.

Uttarakhand·temple · festival

Pilgrims make their way up the steep mountain route towards Yamunotri Temple in Uttarakhand. Many devotees climb on foot, carrying walking sticks to support themselves along the uphill path, while others travel on mules and khachhars.

festival · temple

Devotees carry the ceremonial palanquin of Goddess Yamuna towards the Yamunotri Temple in Uttarakhand. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel play traditional band music as the procession makes its way towards the shrine.

Uttarakhand·festival · temple

Devotees carry the palanquin of Goddess Yamuna as the annual Yamunotri Yatra sets out in Uttarakhand. Participants walk alongside the palanquin, chanting “Jai Shri Yamune” as the religious procession moves towards the Yamunotri temple.

Uttarakhand·temple · festival

Pilgrims visit Yamunotri Temple in Uttarakhand, one of the sacred destinations of the Char Dham pilgrimage. Devotees walk along a narrow path with green railings and covered shelters built against the steep, rocky Himalayan mountainside.

crafts · ceremony

An elderly artisan painting a statue of Goddess Durga at a roadside workspace in India ahead of the Durga Puja festival.

Uttarakhand·hills · temple

A large number of devotees and travellers make their way towards Kedarnath temple along a winding dirt and stone pathway in the Himalayas. Pilgrims walk uphill while others travel on mules and in palkis carried by porters.

ceremony · bazaar

Rows of food stalls selling fried and steamed momos operate at the Durga Puja celebrations in Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi. Visitors queue at the stalls to buy momos, while others eat and socialise in the busy festival area.

ceremony · bazaar

A large crowd gathers at the Durga Puja premises in Chittaranjan Park (CR Park), New Delhi, where visitors explore food stalls and attend cultural events. A man stands holding a banner seeking help for a cancer patient.

ceremony · festival

The food stalls and children’s fairground at the B Block Durga Puja pandal in C R Park, New Delhi.

highway · hills

The road to Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand passes through a rugged Himalayan landscape. At the mountain highway checkpoint, a purple signboard from the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee welcomes pilgrims in Hindi, while a green direc…

festival · ceremony

A spinning carnival ride attracts children at the Durga Puja fair in CR Park, New Delhi. The ride features small toy airplanes in red, green, blue and yellow, attached to metal arms extending from a central rotating base.

festival

The Ram Krishna Puram Ramlila Dharmik Samiti organises a Ramleela event in RK Puram, New Delhi. The stage features elaborate decorations in orange, pink and gold, along with religious imagery and banners displaying the committee's name.

festival · ceremony

People of different age groups visit the Durga Puja fair in CR Park, New Delhi. Families and other visitors walk around the fair and enjoy the annual festival.

Uttar Pradesh·crafts · ceremony

Workers make decorative foam panels for a Durga Puja pandal at the Balaka Durgotsava Community Centre in Sector 61, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Uttarakhand·festival · hills

Pilgrims walking along the main stone-paved pathway to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, India, during the Char Dham Yatra season.

ceremony · festival

Customers visit a traditional Indian utensil and kitchenware shop during Dhanteras to purchase household utensils and items for religious rituals.

festival · bazaar

The archival footage shows a local sweets market in Delhi during the days leading up to Diwali. Customers visit sweet shops to buy traditional Indian mithai for the festive celebrations, even as prices rise during the busy season.

Uttarakhand·festival · temple

The Yamuna Devi Yatra is a ceremonial procession that carries Goddess Yamuna’s palanquin, or doli, from Shani Dev Temple in Kharsali village towards Yamunotri in Uttarakhand.

festival · snow

Helicopters operated by different companies provide passenger pick-up and drop-off services for pilgrims travelling to and from Kedarnath. The helicopter services connect Kedarnath with three helipads: Phata, Sirsi and Guptkashi.

temple · hills

Pilgrims make their way up the steep and winding mountain route during the Yamunotri Yatra in Uttarakhand. Four porters carry devotees seated in palanquins on their shoulders along the uphill trail.