Balinese Hindus carry Pratimas, or symbols of God, on the beach during Melasti, a purification ceremony, ahead of the holy day of Nyepi, in Gianyar on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, March 6, 2016. Nyepi is a day of silence to celebrate the Balinese new year, reserved for self-reflection, where people are not allowed to use lights, light fires, work, travel or enjoy entertainment. (Photo by Roni Bintang/Reuters)

A Nepalese Hindu devotee takes a holy bath as they mark the Mother's Day Festival at Matathirtha on the outskirts of Kathmandu on May 6, 2016. Nepalese Hindu devotees come from across the country to bathe, offer prayers and leave offerings at the Matathirtha Temple during the event, which honours mothers who have passed away. (Photo by Prakash Mathema/AFP Photo)

Nepalese women performs ritual as they take a holy bath in the Bagmati River, during the Rishi Panchami festival, in Kathmandu, Nepal September 18, 2015. Rishi Panchami is observed on the last day of Teej when women worship Sapta Rishi (Seven Saints) to ask for forgiveness for sins committed during their menstrual periods throughout the year. The Hindu religion considers menstruation as a representation of impurity and women are prohibited from taking part in religious practices during their monthly menstruations. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

A young woman shows off her henna tattoos at the end of Eid al-Fitr prayers in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Members of the Romanian Muslim community joined prayers at the Dinamo stadium in the Romanian capital, in the largest Muslim public gathering of the year. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. (Photo by Andreea Alexandru/AP Photo)

Shortlisted images in the running to be crowned Photobox Instagram photograph of the year range from furry friends to the Holi festival to the meaning of love. Judges, including the Guardian’s former picture editor Eamonn McCabe, have whittled down 180,000 submissions to unearth a shortlist that celebrates the best of social media. Winners will be announced October 3, 2018. Here: Najac, France. Travel shortlist. (Photo by Aaron Jenkin/@aaronjenkin)

October winner. “A burst of the aurora borealis over Kirkjufell, taken in September 2016. This shot has been a holy grail for me and was finally captured after many trips”. MICK RYAN, JUDGE: Iceland is a hotspot for aurora photography and this composition of the symmetric, free-standing Kirkjufell and the trident waterfall is much-sought after. If you can time your visit when the aurora “kp” index is high and know the settings for nighttime aurora images, you may end up with a beautiful photograph like this. (Photo by DВ/The Guardian)

Drag queen Lior Israelov (L), who goes by the stage name Suzi Boum, and his transgender sister Arizona pose for a photo in a studio In Tel Aviv June 3, 2015. While Tel Aviv has become a world-class destination for gay tourism, the holy city of Jerusalem was the scene of an attack by an ultra-Orthodox Jew that killed an Israeli teenager at an annual Gay Pride parade on July 30. The assailant, who called the parade an abomination against God, has been charged with murder. (Photo by Baz Ratner/Reuters)

An Indonesian devotee cleans and purifies a holy statue of the Gods with tea, roses and cendana water at Suka Loka Tri Dharma Temple on January 26, 2022 in Surabaya, Indonesia. Countries around Southeast Asia are set to welcome a lively Chinese New Year, despite implementing strict health protocols as Chinese populations curtail celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first day of the Lunar New Year, on February 1, will usher in the Year of the Tiger. (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)