A priest inside one of the stone-cut churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia

Iglesia de San Tomas in Chichicastenango, Guatemala is a Roman Catholic Church used by Maya priests for their rituals of burning incense and candles.

Stations of the Cross, in Antigua, Guatemala refers to a series of images depicting Christ on the day of his crucifixion. The object of the stations is to help the Christian faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ. The 14 images are arranged in numbered order along a path and the faithful travel from image to image, in order, stopping at each station to say the selected prayers and reflections

Varanasi is one of the holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism and is regarded as the spiritual capital of India. Hindus believe that sins accumulated in past and current lives require them to continue the cycle of death and rebirth until they are cleansed. The Ganges is worshipped as the holiest river in Hinduism and bathing in it is believed to rid one of all sins that one might have committed in life. As soon as the day begins, Hindus descend the Ghats, the stone steps that lead down to the river, to perform rituals. They give their offering of flowers and food to the river and the goddess Ganga, throwing handfuls of grains, marigolds or pink lotuses into the river. These offerings are meant to be sent to every corner of the world and bring a sign of peace with them. Others may float small oil lamps on the surface of the river as well as placing he ashes of those who had died.

Prostration in Tibetan Buddhism is a spiritual practice to purify the mind from delusions, negativity, and bad karma. It is an important expression of devotion. Tibetan pilgrims prostrate themselves by lying face-down on the ground and stretching out their arms and legs so as to earn merit. They rise up and repeat the sequence. Some pilgrims cover the entire 33-mile route around Mount Kailash or travel from their hometowns to Lhasa, repeatedly prostrating themselves.

Buddhists believe that mindfully spinning a prayer wheel accumulates wisdom and merit (good karma) and purifies negativities (bad karma). Each revolution is as meritorious as reading the description aloud as many times as it is written on the scroll. The more “Om Mani Padme Hum” mantras that are inside a prayer wheel, the more powerful it is.

The Mani prayer wheels are hand-held prayer wheels that are usually used when individuals walk around Buddhist relics or temples. The practitioner spins the wheel clockwise, as the direction in which the mantras are written is that of the movement of the sun across the sky. While spinning gently and smoothly one keeps in mind the spirit of compassion and bodhichitta (the noble mind that aspires to full enlightenment for the benefit of all beings). Benefits include increased wisdom, enhanced spiritual powers, and a calm meditative mind.

Spinning prayer wheels in Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Buddhist perform koras, circumambulation, around the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, ringing bells, burning incense and spinning prayer wheels.

Astrologer does reading on banks of the Bagmati River in Katmandu, Nepal

The mandala is a spiritual symbol that represents the universe and is contemplated during meditation. Each object has significance, representing an aspect of wisdom or reminding the meditator of a guiding principle. The mandala’s purpose is to help transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones and to assist with healing

The Pashupatinath temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most sacred Hindu temples in Nepal. Located on the banks of Bagmati River it was built approximately in the 5th century. Living and meditating in the vicinity of Pashupatinath are a number of sadhus. A sadhu is a religious ascetic, mendicant (monk), or any holy person in Hinduism who has renounced the worldly life. Sadhus are solely dedicated to achieving moksa (liberation)

The Varanasi Ganga Aarti, a devotional ritual using fire as an offering to the goddess Ganga, takes place every sunset at the holy Dasaswamedh Ghat, near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Several priests perform this ritual by carrying deepams (oil lamps) which are circled around in a clockwise manner, accompanied by chants or songs in praise of Mother Ganga. It is believed that after the ritual is complete, the Goddess showers her blessing onto each individual present there.

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Jama Masjid Mosque, the largest Mosque in Delhi, India was completed in 1656 AD. Islam is ndia’s second-largest religion. A mosque is a place to gather for prayers, to study, and to celebrate festivals. It also is used to house schools and community centres. The Arabic word for mosque, “masjid”, means “place of prostration”.

Lalibela is known for its rock-hewn churches carved from living monolithic blocks of rock 800 years ago. Ethiopia was one of the earliest nations to adopt Christianity in the first half of the 4th century. To Christians, Lalibela is one of Ethiopia’s holiest cities. The churches, sculpted into the rock date from the 7th to 13th centuries

Sikhs gather in the main prayer hall to sit on the floor and worship in Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi, India. A Gurdwara is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs and are open to all, regardless of religion, background, caste, or race. Sikhs believe that all religions are different pathways to the same God. An essential part of Sikhism is also the langar, the practice of preparing and serving a free meal to promote the Sikh tenet of selfless service.

T he Guru Granth Sahib is the sacred text of the Sikh community and is central to the lives of devout Sikhs. Each day devout Sikhs hear or recite the scriptural passages that constitute their daily prayers. Sikhs consult the Guru Granth Sahib for guidance when they face a dilemma. The time-honored tradition is for the volume to be opened at random and for the words of the hymn at the top of the left-hand page to be taken as the Guru’s response.

Inside the stone-cut churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia, local priests spend hours praying and reading the scriptures from their small leather-bound books. Butter lamps are a conspicuous feature of Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout the Himalayas. The butter lamps help focus the mind and aid meditation.

Morning devotions on the ghats of the Ganges, Varanasi, India.

Student monk in a temple in Bagan, Myanmar

Monk in temple in Mandalay, Myanmar

A Buddhist monk believes their primary purpose is to practice and preserve Buddhist teaching while living an ascetic life. Their only possessions are their robes and begging bowls. In Yangon, Myanmar

Bhutan has a tradition of monastic song and music. Religious music is usually chanted but many indigenous instruments are also used, such as the the lingm, a bamboo flute.

Also common in the dungkar (conch shell). It symbolizes the reverberating sound of Dharma (cosmic law and order) and signifies the awakening of sentient beings from the sleeping state of their ignorance. It encourages people towards the path of noble deeds that are beneficial to others

Boys traditionally spend a period of their lives living as monks. Some stay for life. When committing to becoming a Buddhist monk, the individual agrees to lay aside worldly comforts to pursue enlightenment. A Buddhist layperson makes merit by giving gifts and financial support to monks. As they empty their offering into the monk’s bowl, they receive spiritual blessing from the monk.

The holy city of Amritsar is named after the body of water surrounding the Golden Temple (Harmandar Sahib) ‘Amrit’ means the nectar of immortality and ‘sar’ or ‘sarovar’ means pond. The water is considered holy and whoever takes a dip gets rid of their bad karma.