A man dressed as Pothuraju, a mythical character, performs rituals during the Bonalu festival in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, June 30, 2022. Bonalu is a month-long Hindu folk festival of the Telangana region dedicated to Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction. (Photo by Mahesh Kumar A./AP Photo)

Wild deer rummage through garbage dumped at an open ground in Sri Lanka's district of Trincomalee on April 4, 2023. (Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP Photo)

A Malaysian Hindu devotee (C) reacts in a state of trance as she walks towards the Batu caves temple during the Thaipusam festival celebrations in Kuala Lumpur on January 24, 2016. More than a million Hindus celebrate the festival of “Thaipusam” at temples across the country. (Photo by Manan Vatsyayana/AFP Photo)

Spot-billed pelican interact on the banks of an artificial lake in Colombo on September 28, 2021. (Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP Photo)

A Rajasthani man displays his moustache during the closing ceremony of annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan, on November 8, 2022. (Photo by Himanshu Sharma/AFP Photo)

Sümi women gesture as they line up to perform a traditional Sümi rice pounding folk song called “Thishole” during Western Sumi Torimi Hoho Silver Jubilee at Thilixü Village in Chumoukedima district, India north eastern state of Nagaland on June 7, 2023. Altogether 1400 Sülimis perform their traditional rice pounding folk song to mark their 25th Anniversary. (Photo by Caisii Mao/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Women smeared with “Gulal” as they celebrate Holi, the Hindu spring festival of colours, in Kolkata on March 25, 2024. (Photo by Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP Photo)

An Indian Hindu man dressed as Lord Shiva holds a lit candle in his mouth as he takes part in a religious procession ahead of the Maha Shivratri Festival in Jalandhar on February 22, 2017. Hindus mark the Maha Shivratri festival by offering special prayers and fasting to worship Lord Shiva, the lord of destruction. (Photo by Shammi Mehra/AFP Photo)