Service through Christ

Alberta's Catholic sisters are being honoured for their pioneering contributions in education, health care and social welfare.    A three-metre bronzed sculpture depicts a sister holding a huge piece of stained glass that symbolically depicts the breadth and depth of the sisters' service to the province of Alberta. Herman Poulin, an artist from St. Paul, Alta., was commissioned to create a bronze sculpture to be on permanent display at the Legislature.

Taken in Edmonton, Canada by Stella Blu

Aarti

"Aarti time at Pashupatinath". Nepal. Taken by pablodadiablo

Temple

Goddess of Mercy chinese temple in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. Taken by Igor Bilić

Sivraj Giri Maharaj

"Ashirvad from Sanskrit means blessing. Sadhu is regarded as a holy man, lord Siva (first and immortal yogi) is always with him. The power of his blessing is legendary and many people wish for miracles to come". Taken in Kumbh Mela, India by pablodiablo

Hindu devotee

"Many devotees pray here during the week before the procession.

A trusted relative pierces tens (or hundreds?) of spikes into the devotee's body. Or a large skewer trough his mouth.
Nobody cringes. Nobody bleeds! I mean I didn't see anybody feeling pain at Thaipusam in Kuala Lumpur.

The prayers done, friends and relatives start loading the kavadi frames onto the shoulders of devotees. They will go up the steps deep into the Batu caves, where the skewers and hooks will be taken out as the final part of the prayer ....

Thaipusam preparations are never quiet affairs. In the background, musicians pound drums and blow bugles.

This music gets the devotees into the right frame of mind, I am told."

Taken by Igor

Tiny Bright Menorah

Taken by Renee

Nagababas

"Nagababas ready for the last Royal bath of Maha Kumbh Mela... Juna Akhara, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India". Taken by s i a m

Trapping Lost Souls

"Outside the site of St Francis Church in La Antigua, Guatemala I saw this priest with wire and cord. I wonder why?". Taken by English Granpa

Women at the Wall

Jerusalem. Taken by Alison Ryde

Glow

The Cathedral of Saint Seva, Serbia. Taken by Vladimir Krzalic

Monk

"Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺), known more fully as Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺)... an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto". Japan. Taken by Ross

Western Wall Tunnels

"This is part of an underground tunnel exposing the Western Wall in its full length. The carved stones in the bottom are original from the Temple... I walked there with a large tripod, it was awkward and uncomfortable but paid off! I wanted to capture the atmosphere of that special and interesting place with no additional artificial light". Taken by Flavio

A Moment of Eternity

"On top of holy Mount Zwegabin, Kayin state". Burma. Taken by fredcan

Prayers at the Temple

"Taking part in the morning service at the Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan. Longshan Temple was first built in 1738. Read the whole post at Asian Ramblings". Taken by Steve

Malay Hinduism

"While doing my usual touristic walk through Jonker Street, in the heart of Melaka's Chinatown, I found myself amazed that in a very small radios I could see a church, a mosque and a Hindu temple. Everyone is really open to foreigners and people of different religions, eager to show you around their praying temples and customs". Taken by Dave_B_

Like a Statue

"Nearly all of the Ethiopian Beit Israel (House of Israel) community, comprising more than 119,300 people, reside in Israel. The Israeli Government has mounted two major rescue operations, Operation Moses (1984) and Operation Solomon (1991), for their migration when civil war and famine threatened populations within Ethiopia. Today, 38,500 members of the community are native born Israelis". Taken by Flavio

Isolation

"Bellanwila Rajamahawiharaya (Temple) , Sri Lanka". Taken by Sara-D

St. Michael

Statue of Saint Michael, battle ready, in a niche, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. See the detail in the garments. Taken by Wonderlane

HUM

"Hūṃ, the Sanskrit & Tibetan seed syllable scripted in Tibetan. One of the nicest hūṃ in Tibetan (Uchen) I have ever seen, from the entry of the beautiful Gelug Monastery in Pharping, Nepal". Taken by Wonderlane

Kirtan

"The Sanskrit word 'kirtan' refers to the Hindu tradition of devotional chanting of hymns and mantras. It is usually accompanied by instruments such as the harmonium, the two-headed pakawaj, sometimes tabla drums, as well as karatal, or hand cymbals. It is a major practice amongst Vaisnavas (Vishnu devotees). I was walking in the old city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, when I heard the music and was soon invited to join in by some of the people who had gathered in someone's house for the occasion". Taken by Fredcan