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21 incredible pictures of Hindus celebrating Maha Shivaratri Festival

We look at Nepalese Hindus offering special prayers and fasting to commemorate the occasion

Multimedia Desk March 07, 2016

PHOTO: AFP

The Maha Shivaratri Festival will be celebrated by Hindus the world over on March 7, and is celebrated annually in reverence of the Hindu God 'Shiva'. It is said to be the day that Shiva saved the universe by drinking poison and also the day he was married to the Goddess Parvati. Often referred to as Shivaratri, the festival is celebrated by most during the day, while others hold all-night vigils to celebrate the event which falls on a day in the most holy month in the Hindu calendar year.

Here we look at 21 pictures of Nepalese and Indian Hindus offering special prayers and fasting to commemorate the occasion:

1. A Nepalese Sadhu (Hindu holy man) looks on during preparations for the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu on March 7.

PHOTO: AFP

2. A man paints coloured paste onto his face during the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu.

PHOTO: AFP

3. A man ties his hair during preparations for the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu.

PHOTO: AFP

4. An Indian Hindu devotee offers prayers to a Shiva Lingam, a stone sculpture representing the phallus of Hindu god Lord Shiva, to mark the Maha Shivaratri festival at the Lord Shiva Temple in Hyderabad, India.

PHOTO: AFP

5. A man paints coloured paste onto his face during the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu.

PHOTO: AFP

6. A Hindu holy man smokes marijuana using a chillum, a traditional clay pipe, as a holy offering for Lord Shiva, near the Pashupatinath Temple during the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu.

PHOTO: AFP

7. Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to a statue of the Hindu god Lord Shiva to mark the Maha Shivaratri festival.

PHOTO: AFP

8. A Hindu holy man smokes marijuana using a chillum, a traditional clay pipe, as a holy offering for Lord Shiva, near the Pashupatinath Temple during the Maha Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu.

PHOTO: AFP

9. An Indian Hindu devotee offer prayers to a Shiva Lingam, a stone sculpture representing the phallus of Hindu god Lord Shiva.

PHOTO: AFP

10. Nepalese visitors take a 'selfie' with a Hindu holy man dressed as Lord Shiva.

PHOTO: AFP

11. Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to a statue of the Hindu god Lord Shiva to mark the Maha Shivaratri festival in Hyderabad.

PHOTO: AFP

12. A Hindu holy man prepares marijuana before smoking it during the Shivaratri festival on the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

PHOTO: REUTERS

13. A Hindu sadhu, ties his hair as he stands outside his ashram during the Shivaratri festival.

PHOTO: REUTERS

14. A family stands and poses for a photograph at the Maha Shivaratri Festival.

PHOTO: REUTERS

15. A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, smeared with ashes holds a chillum as he smokes it during the Shivaratri festival on the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.

PHOTO: REUTERS

16. Hindu holy men, or sadhus, sit beside the fire as they chant religious songs during the Shivaratri festival at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

PHOTO: REUTERS

17. A Hindu holy man smears ashes on his face during the Shivaratri festival at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple.

PHOTO: REUTERS

18. A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, smokes marijuana in a chillum during the Shivaratri festival.

PHOTO: REUTERS

19. Smoke rises as a devotee sit next to a fire during the Shivaratri festival at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

PHOTO: REUTERS

20. A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, with a snake wrapped on his neck sits at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple.

PHOTO: REUTERS

21. A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, smeared with ashes smokes marijuana in a chillum during the Shivaratri festival on the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

PHOTO: REUTERS

COMMENTS (7)

Muhammad ali ayaz | 8 years ago | Reply If gov't can't resolve the couse of private schools strike then gov't should think about the house rent taker thay take 10 to 20% annualy and huge advances

ajeet | 8 years ago | Reply @Eager Beaver: Because it looks like women in black burka?

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Eager Beaver | 8 years ago | Reply Picture no.9..hands down..WINS!! :) :)

jeff | 8 years ago | Reply Most of these are the same shot from a different angle. 13 shots would've been fine.

Feroz | 8 years ago | Reply Any human being interested in spiritual matters must attend at least one Kumbh Mela, the largest congregation of human beings on Earth. Sadhus and Yogis one can never get to see or meet otherwise, are there in thousands. However the really elevated Souls who can be called Spiritual Masters, very rare to find or see. Those guys will be meditating for years in remote caves deep in the Himalayas. They are the ones with real Power, the kind of power we can neither imagine, visualize or rationalize, even in our dreams. While their bodies may be physically on Earth, their Soul can be anywhere and everywhere, having conquered space and time, they have no constraints, nothing is beyond their power. They know where any object or any Soul is currently hovering, not just within this Universe but beyond. In the presence of such Masters there is no need for talk as they can read your mind, even with eyes closed. Communication between such souls does not need any mobile, waves or wires, no need of any compass or map for direction either. When we say only 1% of the capacity of the human Brain has been tapped in terms of scientific achievement till date, we say so knowing how far these spiritual masters have gone.

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply Picture No:6 wins......hands down.

Bunny Rabbit | 8 years ago | Reply Err .when you say Hyderabad , you didnt specify which Hyd ? Pak or India ?

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