Showing 1 - 10 of 37
Buddhist monks' peace walk across US draws crowds
AFP, Published on 04/02/2026
» GLEN ALLEN (UNITED STATES) — Buddhist monks walking from Texas to Washington to promote peace have become a surprise popular hit as they near the US capital -- attracting crowds of thousands who line the route or join in for a few miles.
Hindu ultranationalist legions mark RSS centenary
AFP, Published on 23/10/2025
» NAGPUR, India - Brandishing bamboo sticks and chanting patriotic hymns, thousands of uniformed men parade in central India, a striking show of strength by the country’s millions-strong Hindu ultranationalist group.
Unfazed devotees shrug off stampede at India mega-festival
AFP, Published on 30/01/2025
» PRAYAGRAJ (INDIA) - Swarming throngs of devotees bathed in rivers at the world's biggest religious gathering in India on Thursday, undeterred by a stampede a day earlier that killed at least 30 people.
Sea of humanity at Kumbh Mela pilgrimage
AFP, Published on 14/01/2025
» PRAYAGRAJ, India - Millions of Hindu pilgrims are gathering in India to bathe in sacred waters for the six-week-long Kumbh Mela festival — from the very old to babies, cave-dwelling monks to science teachers.
India opens giant Hindu festival for 400 million pilgrims
AFP, Published on 13/01/2025
» PRAYAGRAJ (INDIA) - Vast crowds of Hindu pilgrims in India began bathing in sacred waters on Monday as the Kumbh Mela festival opened, with organisers expecting 400 million people -- the largest gathering of humanity.
Modi inaugurates grand new Indian parliament
AFP, Published on 29/05/2023
» NEW DELHI - Flanked by priests, Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new Indian parliament on Sunday in a ceremony steeped in religious symbolism but boycotted by opposition parties.
The second life of Hiroshima's origami cranes
AFP, Published on 17/05/2023
» MIYAJIMA (JAPAN) - At a hillside temple, a monk in saffron robes blows a refrain on a conch and begins chanting prayers as thousands of origami cranes donated to Hiroshima burn.
India arms Hindu village militias to combat Kashmir rebels
AFP, Published on 28/04/2023
» DHANGRI (INDIA) - Brandishing a bolt-action rifle, civil servant Sanjeet Kumar is one of 5,000 Kashmir villagers who have joined all-Hindu militia units armed and trained by Indian forces to fight off rebel attacks.
Long-reigning Thai and British monarchs shared a bond
AFP, Published on 09/09/2022
» Their ancestors were "royal friends by correspondence" but Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Thailand's His Majesty King Bhumibol the Great developed a face-to-face bond during their lifetimes.
Iran's oldest pistachio trader readies daughter to one day take over
AFP, Published on 22/06/2022
» Tucked away in Tehran's famed Grand Bazaar, Iran's oldest pistachio wholesaler quietly prepares a small revolution -- he will hand his business to his youngest daughter, in a trade dominated by men.