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Aftermath of strong earthquake in Aomori

A man cleans up a room of a shrine in Hachinohe in the northeastern Japanese prefecture of Aomori on Dec. 9, 2025, following a strong earthquake the previous night.

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Western Japan traditional shrine ritual

A man dressed as a demon holds a bamboo pole during a traditional ritual to pray for a good rice harvest and protection against epidemics at Shiide Itsukushima shrine in Kudoyama in the western Japan prefecture of Wakayama on Aug. 16, 2025.

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Yasukuni shrine

A man bows at the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 14, 2025, the eve of the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.

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Qadiri Disciples Gather in Akre - Iraq

A man walks down the stairs of Abdulaziz Gilani Takya in Akre, Iraq, on June 7, 2025. Followers of the Qadiri Waliani Tariqat make their annual visit to the shrine on the second day of Eid al-Adha. Photo by Shwan Zangana/Middle East/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Qadiri Disciples Gather in Akre - Iraq

A man stands before the shrine lattice in Akre, Iraq, on June 7, 2025. Qadiri Waliani Tariqat followers gather here annually on the second day of Eid al-Adha to honor their spiritual legacy. Photo by Shwan Zangana/Middle East/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Qadiri Disciples Gather in Akre - Iraq

A man greets a religious leader at Abdulaziz Gilani Takya in Akre, Iraq, on June 7, 2025. Followers of the Qadiri Waliani Tariqat make their annual visit to the shrine on the second day of Eid al-Adha. Photo by Shwan Zangana/Middle East/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Qadiri Disciples Gather in Akre - Iraq

A man stands before the shrine lattice in Akre, Iraq, on June 7, 2025. Qadiri Waliani Tariqat followers gather here annually on the second day of Eid al-Adha to honor their spiritual legacy. Photo by Shwan Zangana/Middle East/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Horse-riding event at Mie shrine

A horse ridden by a local young man climbs the slope at Tado Taisha shrine in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on May 4, 2025, during a traditional festival to pray for good harvests.

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Horse-riding event at Mie shrine

A horse ridden by a local young man climbs the slope at Tado Taisha shrine in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on May 4, 2025, during a traditional festival to pray for good harvests.

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Horse-riding event at Mie shrine

A horse ridden by a local young man climbs the slope at Tado Taisha shrine in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on May 4, 2025, during a traditional festival to pray for good harvests.

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Shia Muslims Visit The Holy Shrine Of Imam Hussein - Iraq

A man reads the Holy Quran as Shia Muslims visit the holy shrine of Imam Hussein and his brother Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Karbala, Iraq. Visiting holy shrines on Thursdays is one of the most desirable and beloved deeds among Shias, and it is believed to have a great virtue and a great spiritual impact. Photo by Samer Alhusseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Shia Muslims Visit The Holy Shrine Of Imam Hussein - Iraq

A man reads prayers as Shias visit the holy shrine of Imam Hussein and his brother Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Karbala, Iraq. Visiting holy shrines on Thursdays is one of the most desirable and beloved deeds among Shias, and it is believed to have a great virtue and a great spiritual impact. Photo by Samer Alhusseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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[Breaking News]Winter purification ritual at Tokyo shrine

TOKYO, Japan, Jan. 21 Kyodo - A man splashes himself with icy water during a winter purification ritual at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 18, 2025. (Kyodo)

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Winter purification ritual at Tokyo shrine

A man splashes himself with icy water during a winter purification ritual at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 18, 2025.

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1st anniversary of Noto Peninsula quake

A man prays at a shrine damaged by the Jan. 1, 2024, Noto Peninsula earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the small hours of Jan. 1, 2025, for his first visit of the year to a shrine.

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Pompeii Archaeologists Find Bodies Of Man And Woman And Their Treasure

The skeletal remains of a man and a woman have been unearthed along with a cache of coins and precious jewelry in Pompeii, Italy on august 2024. The discovery is part of a dig in Region IX of the buried city that has uncovered a plethora of ancient buildings and artifacts, including a bakery, a home renovation and rooms decorated with elaborate drawings. The woman was found on the bed and was carrying a small cache of treasure with gold, silver and bronze coins and some jewellery including a pair of gold and pearl earrings. The small room, a service area used as a temporary cubiculo (bedroom) during the renovation of the house, is located to the south of the Blue Shrine room that emerged recently, and has access to the large living room decorated in second style plaster. The room was chosen as a refuge by the two people, while waiting for the end of the fall of pumice that had been gradually filling the open spaces for hours in the rest of the house. The room, thanks to the doorways having been closed, remain

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Annual equestrian event at Mie shrine

KUWANA, Japan, May 6 Kyodo - A horse ridden by a local young man climbs the slope at Tado Taisha shrine in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on May 4, 2024, during a traditional festival to pray for good harvests. (Kyodo)

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Annual equestrian event at Mie shrine

A horse ridden by a local young man climbs the slope at Tado Taisha shrine in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on May 4, 2024, during a traditional festival to pray for good harvests.

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Annual equestrian event at Mie shrine

A horse ridden by a local young man climbs the slope at Tado Taisha shrine in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on May 4, 2024, during a traditional festival to pray for good harvests.

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First Day Of Ramadan In Kashmir - India

A man offer prayers inside a shrine on the first day of Ramadan at the Grand Mosque (Jamia Masjid) of old city in Srinagar. Kashmiri Muslims embark on a month-long fasting journey. on March 12,2024, Srinagar Kashmir, India. Photo by Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group/ABACAPRESS.COM

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First Day Of Ramadan In Kashmir - India

A man prays inside a shrine on the first day of Ramadan at the Grand Mosque (Jamia Masjid) of old city in Srinagar. Kashmiri Muslims embark on a month-long fasting journey. on March 12,2024, Srinagar Kashmir, India. Photo by Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group/ABACAPRESS.COM

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First Day Of Ramadan In Kashmir - India

A man recites from the holy Quran inside a shrine on the first day of Ramadan at the Grand Mosque (Jamia Masjid) of old city in Srinagar. Kashmiri Muslims embark on a month-long fasting journey. on March 12,2024, Srinagar Kashmir, India. Photo by Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Friday Following Of Miraj-Ul-Alam Celebrations - Kashmir

A man Prepares snacks and pudding outside the Hazratbal shrine, during the Friday following of Miraj-Ul-Alam (ascension to heaven) celebrations. on February 16, 2024 in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. Photo by Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Annual Urs Prayer - Kashmir

November 03,2023, Srinagar Kashmir, India : A man douses rose water as Kashmiri Muslims offer prayers during the last friday of 'urs', or death anniversary of the sufi saint who lived in Baghdad some 1,000 years ago, at the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Geelani in Srinagar. On November 03,2023, Srinagar Kashmir, India. Photo By Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Mawlid-un-Nabi Celebration - India

September 29,2023, Srinagar Kashmir, India : A man arrives to offer prayers on the occasion of Mawlid-un-Nabi or Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) birth anniversary in Dargah Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from all over Kashmir visit the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar to pay obeisance on the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) . The shrine is highly revered by Kashmiri Muslims as it is believed to house a holy relic of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). The relic is displayed to the devotees on important Islamic days such as the Mawlid-un-Nabi when Muslims worldwide celebrate. On September 29,2023 in Srinagar Kashmir, India. Photo by Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Mawlid-un-Nabi Celebration - India

September 29,2023, Srinagar Kashmir, India : A man arrives to offer prayers on the occasion of Mawlid-un-Nabi or Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) birth anniversary in Dargah Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from all over Kashmir visit the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar to pay obeisance on the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) . The shrine is highly revered by Kashmiri Muslims as it is believed to house a holy relic of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). The relic is displayed to the devotees on important Islamic days such as the Mawlid-un-Nabi when Muslims worldwide celebrate. On September 29,2023 in Srinagar Kashmir, India. Photo by Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Sufi Muslim Saint Death Anniversary - Kashmir

A Kashmiri Muslim man prays at the shrine of Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, a Sufi saint, during a religious festival to mark Saint Hamdani's death anniversary in Srinagar. Thousands of devotees visited the shrine of the Saint , who travelled to Kashmir from Iran to spread Islam in the region. On June 25,2023 in Srinagar Kashmir, India.(Photo By Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group

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Sufi Muslim Saint Death Anniversary - Kashmir

A Kashmiri Muslim man offer prayers at the shrine of a saint ,Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, during a religious festival to mark his death anniversary in Srinagar. Thousands of devotees visited the shrine of the Saint , who travelled to Kashmir from Iran to spread Islam in the region.Srinagar Kashmir, India, June 25, 2023. Photo by Firdous Nazir/Eyepix Group/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Traditional naked festival in Japan

Thousands of men wearing only "fundoshi" undergarments jostle to touch a chosen "shin otoko" (holy man) during the traditional naked festival at Konomiya shrine in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Feb. 3, 2023, hoping to ward off evil spirits. The event, involving close body contact, took place after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus.

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Traditional naked festival in Japan

Thousands of men wearing only "fundoshi" undergarments jostle to touch a chosen "shin otoko" (holy man) during the traditional naked festival at Konomiya shrine in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Feb. 3, 2023, hoping to ward off evil spirits. The event, involving close body contact, took place after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus.

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Traditional naked festival in Japan

Thousands of men wearing only "fundoshi" undergarments jostle to touch a chosen "shin otoko" (holy man) during the traditional naked festival at Konomiya shrine in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Feb. 3, 2023, hoping to ward off evil spirits. The event, involving close body contact, took place after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus.

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Traditional naked festival in Japan

Thousands of men wearing only "fundoshi" undergarments jostle to touch a chosen "shin otoko" (holy man) during the traditional naked festival at Konomiya shrine in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Feb. 3, 2023, hoping to ward off evil spirits. The event, involving close body contact, took place after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus.

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Water-splashing ritual in northern Japan

A man is splashed with cold water by another man in a nearly two-century-old ritual to pray for rich fishing and harvests, at Samegawa shrine in Kikonai in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Jan. 13, 2023.

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Water-splashing ritual in northern Japan

A man is splashed with cold water by another man in a nearly two-century-old ritual to pray for rich fishing and harvests, at Samegawa shrine in Kikonai in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Jan. 13, 2023.

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Vandalism at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan, Aug. 19 Kyodo - Police officers investigate in front of a worship hall of the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 19, 2019, after a man threw black ink on a curtain hung on the hall. Police arrested the man, believed to be a Chinese national, at the scene on suspicion of property damage.

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Vandalism at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan, Aug. 19 Kyodo - Police officers investigate in front of a worship hall of the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 19, 2019, after a man threw black ink on a curtain hung on the hall. Police arrested the man, believed to be a Chinese national, at the scene on suspicion of property damage.

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'Lucky man race' held at Nishonomiya Shrine in western Japan

NISHINOMIYA, Japan, Jan. 10 Kyodo - The top three finishers of a New Year race to pick a "Fuku-otoko" (lucky man) hold up framed Chinese characters and paintings, all suggesting luck, at Nishinomiya Shrine in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 10, 2016. The 16-year-old Michinari Mizuta (C) became the year's "luckiest man" among about 6,000 participants, winning the 230-meter race from the shrine's gate to the main hall.