An army dog stands up as retiring soldiers salute their guard post before retirement in Suqian, Jiangsu province, China on November 29, 2017. (Photo by Reuters/China Stringer Network)
A carnival member performs during a carnival procession of the closing carnival night in the town of Strumica, southeastern North Macedonia, 16 March 2024. North Macedonians are marking Trimery, an Orthodox Christian holiday, when evil spirits are chased away with dance rituals. The holiday marks the beginning of the fasting period ahead of Easter. (Photo by Georgi Licovski/EPA/EFE)
Participants of the “Still Standing for Culture” action of the cultural sector rally in Les Marolles neighborhood of Brussels, Belgium, 13 March 2021. Workers of the cultural sector along with second-hand dealers of the Jeu de Balle place gathered in Les Marolles to denounce the lack of financial support and call for solutions to the impact of the coronavirus crisis on culture professionals and the sector as a whole one year after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns started. (Photo by Stephanie Lecocq/EPA/EFE)
Spur Lacasse of Cochrane, Alberta rides the horse Rebel Warrior in the novice bareback event during the Calgary Stampede rodeo in Calgary, Alberta, in this July 12, 2014 file photo. (Photo by Todd Korol/Reuters)
A Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) female fighter adjusts a mortar in northern Deir al-Zor province ahead of an offensive against Islamic State militants, Syria February 21, 2017. (Photo by Rodi Said/Reuters)
Ravers dance around Love Mobiles during the 22nd edition of the Lake Parade in Geneva, Switzerland, 20 July 2024. (Photo by Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA/EFE)
Varanasi is a city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres (200 mi) southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It is holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism and Jainism. Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings salvation. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the oldest in India.