“A Hadaka Matsuri (“Naked Festival”) is a type of Japanese festival, or matsuri, in which participants wear a minimum amount of clothing; usually just a Japanese loincloth (called fundoshi), sometimes with a short happi coat, and rarely completely naked. Whatever the clothing, it is considered to be above vulgar, or everyday, undergarments, and on the level of holy Japanese shrine attire. Naked festivals are held in dozens of places throughout Japan every year, usually in the summer or winter. The most famous festival is held in Okayama, where the festival originated. Every year, over 9,000 men participate in this festival”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Japanese men wear loincloths as they splash about in freezing cold water during Saidaiji Naked Festival, at Saidaiji Temple on February 18, 2012 in Okayama, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)

A man dressed as Hindu goddess Kali, the goddess of power, performs with a burning camphor tablet on his tongue during a religious procession ahead of the “Kumbh Mela”, or Pitcher Festival, in the northern Indian city of Allahabad January 6, 2013. During the festival, hundreds of thousands of Hindus take part in a religious gathering at the banks of the river Ganges. The festival is held every 12 years in different Indian cities. (Photo by Jitendra Prakash/Reuters)

The number of soldiers on both sides of WWII that were killed or went missing is just staggering. Now, the mystery surrounding one RAF pilot and what happened to him and his plane has been solved after 70 years. RAF flight Sergeant Dennis Copping climbed into his Kittyhawk P-40 aircraft in June 1942 to fly the plane to another airbase for repairs. He was never seen or heard from again.

Hedi Xandt imagines impressive sculptures. Mixing styles and materials with talent, the artist invites us to discover his dark and intense universe.

“Anastasiya Shpagina is one of the famous women who have transformed themselves into looking like human dolls. Hailing from Ukraine, 19-year-old Anastasiya Shpagina always loved Japanese cartoon characters, and has dreamed of becoming a living doll that appears in animes. She transformed her look into something that can be seen in the pages of a manga book”.

Photo: “Human Anime Doll” Anastasiya Shpagina (R) with “Human Barbie Doll” Valeria Lukyanova. (Photo by Anastasiya Shpagina & Valeria Lukyanova)

A Hindu devotee drinks water from the Ganges River at the Sangam area, the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, in Allahabad on March 16, 2021. (Photo by Sanjay Kanojia/AFP Photo)

A police officer offers a prayer to his weapon as part of a ritual at their headquarters on the occasion of Dussehra, or Vijaya Dashami, festival in Ahmedabad, India, October 15, 2021. (Photo by Amit Dave/Reuters)