A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, sits beside a fire after smearing his body with ashes at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple, ahead of the Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal February 21, 2017. Hindus mark the Maha Shivratri festival by offering special prayers and fasting, with sadhus arriving at Pashupatinath to take part in the event, which takes place on February 24. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

A man is smeared with “Gulal” as he celebrates Holi, the Hindu spring festival of colours, in Hyderabad on March 25, 2024. (Photo by Noah Seelam/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)

A man holds an idol of Hindu God Ganesha before immersing it in the Bay of Bengal during Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Chennai, India, Sunday, September 20, 2015. The festival marks the birth of Ganesha who is widely worshiped by Hindus as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. (Photo by Arun Sankar K./AP Photo)

A Hindu devotee takes sand bath at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna, in Prayagraj, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Monday, June 5, 2023. Prayagraj in the northern Uttar Pradesh state is an important Hindu pilgrimage center. (Photo by Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo)

An Indian woman dressed as Hindu Goddess Kali participates in a “Shivratri” procession in Allahabad, India, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014. “Shivaratri”, or the night of Shiva, is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of death and destruction. (Photo by Rajesh Kumar SinghAP Photo)

Devotees try to form a human pyramid to break a clay pot containing curd during celebrations to mark the Hindu festival of Janmashtami in Mumbai, India, September 6, 2015. Janmashtami, which marks the birthday of Hindu god Krishna, is being celebrated across the country today. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

An Indian Hindu married woman offers prayers during Karva Chauth festival in Jammu, India, Sunday, October 24, 2021. Hindu married women decorate their hands with henna, wear colorful bangles and observe a fast to pray for the longevity and well being of their husbands during this festival. (Photo by Channi Anand/AP Photo)