Religious Figures in India

Portraits of ascetic monks and religious practitioners in traditional attire, embodying spirituality and cultural practices in vibrant Indian settings.

Ascetic monk Sadhu in India with beard, white hair and painted face preaching Ascetic monk Sadhu in India with beard, white hair and painted face preaching looking to camera ,model released, Symbolfoto Copyright: xZoonar.com/CarlosxAndresxMartinezxSubiratsx 22222963 ,model released, Symbolfoto ,property released

Nepal, Kathmandu, painted religious man wearing western sunglasses at Pashupatinath holy Hindu place on Bagmati River

Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, India, Asia

Man performing a pooja

Ascetic monk Sadhu in India with beard, white hair and painted face preaching Ascetic monk Sadhu in India with beard, white hair and painted face preaching looking to camera ,model released, Symbolfoto Copyright: xZoonar.com/CarlosxAndresxMartinezxSubiratsx 22222963 ,model released, Symbolfoto ,property released

lord hanuman standing on stage

Sadhu, holy man, with Tika, Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia

Man dressed as Raavan reading an sms

AMILNADU INDIA - FEB 15, 2023: Old Indian Hindu sadhu with dread-lock beard and white sacred ash on his forehead poses for the camera AMILNADU INDIA - FEB 15, 2023: Old Indian Hindu sadhu with dread-lock beard and white sacred ash on his forehead poses for the camera. High quality photo Copyright: xZoonar.com/AntonxYulikovx 19954968

Man dressed as Raavan holding a mace

Man dressed as Raavan looking unhappy

Portrait of a man dressed as Raavan gesturing

Nepal, Kathmandu Valley, Hindu holy man in orange robe and turban, smiling and gesturing with hand.

Man dressed as Raavan with eyes closed

A sadhu, a Hindu holy man, at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal

Portrait of a man dressed as Raavan

Sadhu, a Shiva worshipper and ascetic or mendicant in Kerala, India, Asia

lord hanuman standing on stage

Sadhu in Rishikesh

A Brahmin (also Brahman) is a member of the priestly class in the Indian subcontinent and belongs to the upper caste society. In Hinduism, Brahmins were charged with performing religious duties as priests and preaching Dharma (as 'one who prays; a devout or religious man; a Brahman who is well versed in Vedic texts; one versed in sacred knowledge').

lord hanuman standing on stage

Portrait of two sadhus sitting in front of a temple, India

Gondhali from Sholapur District, Maharashtra, India MR 687Z Copyright: xAngeloxD Silva/DinodiaxPhotox

Priest, Tirutani, Tamil Nadu, India Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

Sahdu - sitting

Religious Hindu costumed man in Durbar Square in center of village of Kathmandu Nepal (MR)

Holy man sadhu with many necklesses dressed in shining orange robe Kathmandu Nepal

Singapore, Religion, 'Male Devotee Tahipausam Hindu Festival,Needles Pierce Tongue/Cheek '

A devotee going to offer Pind to his dead relatives. Pind Daan is a Hindu service in which a religious service is performed for the dead ancestors. The occasion is fortnight-long and places like Gaya (Bihar state) are thronged by people during this time. Pind means Round balls of rice and flour which are offered, along with the sacred kusha grass and flowers, amidst sprinkling of water and chanting of mantras from the Sam Veda. People visit the place in numbers as Gaya is believed to be the holiest place for this ritual. Gaya, Bihar, India.

Man dressed as Raavan with a mobile phone laughing

They are known, variously, as sadhus (saints, or 'good ones'), yogis (ascetic practitioners), fakirs (ascetic seeker after the Truth) and sannyasins (wandering mendicants and ascetics). They are the ascetic - and often eccentric - practitioners of an austere form of Hinduism. Sworn to cast off earthly desires, some choose to live as anchorites in the wilderness. Others are of a less retiring disposition, especially in the towns and temples of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. If the Vale of Kathmandu seems to boast more than its share of sadhus and yogis, this is because of the number and importance of Hindu temples in the region. The most important temple of Vishnu in the valley is Changunarayan, and here the visitor will find many Vaishnavite ascetics. Likewise, the most important temple for followers of Shiva is the temple at Pashupatinath. Vishnu, also known as Narayan, can be identified by his four arms holding a sanka (sea shell), a chakra (round weapon), a gada (stick-like weapon) and a

Asia, India, A sadhu or holy man

ram lakshman and sita looking at something

Man dressed as Raavan holding a pill

Sadhu, Hindu ascetic or holy man, Varanasi, India.

Man dressed as Raavan looking unhappy

Gondhali From Solapur District Holding Incense Sticks And Divti Or Torch, Maharashtra, India

Sadhu at Haridwar Kumbh Mela, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India, Asia

Portrait of a man dressed as Raavan

Snake charming with an indian cobra, jaipur rajasthan india

Priest in a temple at Goverdan ecovillage, Maharashtra, India

Malaysia, Penang, Thaipusam, Hindu, religious, festival, kavadi bearer,

Sadhu covered with white ashes, Allahabad Kumbh Mela, largest religious gathering, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

Portrait of a man dressed as Raavan holding a credit card

Maveli or king Mahabali model dressing with ornaments and umbrella for onam festival in Kerala, South India, India, Asia

India, Religion, Wedding, Portrait Of Sikh Bridegroom With Gold And Silver Veil Over His Face.

They are known, variously, as sadhus (saints, or 'good ones'), yogis (ascetic practitioners), fakirs (ascetic seeker after the Truth) and sannyasins (wandering mendicants and ascetics). They are the ascetic - and often eccentric - practitioners of an austere form of Hinduism. Sworn to cast off earthly desires, some choose to live as anchorites in the wilderness. Others are of a less retiring disposition, especially in the towns and temples of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. If the Vale of Kathmandu seems to boast more than its share of sadhus and yogis, this is because of the number and importance of Hindu temples in the region. The most important temple of Vishnu in the valley is Changunarayan, and here the visitor will find many Vaishnavite ascetics. Likewise, the most important temple for followers of Shiva is the temple at Pashupatinath. Vishnu, also known as Narayan, can be identified by his four arms holding a sanka (sea shell), a chakra (round weapon), a gada (stick-like weapon) and a

Hindu outside Shri Bankey Bihari Mandir, a notorious Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

lord hanuman acting on stage

Sadhu, Gaurikund, Himalaya Garhwal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Gondhali From Solapur District Holding Incense Sticks And Divti Or Torch, Maharashtra, India

Shankar Acharya of Kanchi at SIES, Nerul, New Bombay, Maharashtra, India NO MR Copyright: xMukeshxParpiani/DinodiaxPhotox

Sadhu, Varanasi (Benares), Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

Sadhu Holy man, India, Asia

Portrait of a Bengali man greeting

Man Celebrating Murgan Ayyappa Mumbai Maharashtra India Asia Copyright: xRxModi/DinodiaxPhotox

Priest at Goverdan ecovillage, Maharashtra, India

Kanchipuram, India - September 12, 2009: Unidentified temple brahmin in Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram. The city is a holy pilgrimage site for Hinduists

A temple priest in Lord Murugan Temple at Thiruttani Tiruttani Tirutani, Tamil Nadu, South India, India, Asia

Statue Of The Saint Sai Baba In Blessing Pose. Shirdi, Maharashtra, India

Portrait of a sadhu with face painting and religious symbols in Varanasi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

UJJAIN, INDIA - APRIL 23, 2011: Brahmin performing Aarti pooja ceremony on bank of holy river Kshipra. Aarti is Hindu religious ritual of worship, part of puja when light is offered to one or more deities

Priest of the Chidambaram Nataraja temple Chidambaram Tamil Nadu India NO MR Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

Gondhali from Sholapur District playing drums, Maharashtra, India MR 687Z, 687W Copyright: xAngeloxD Silva/DinodiaxPhotox

Guru lying on a bed of nails in Pilot Baba camp at Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India, Asia

Aghori, India - 19 February 2026: View of a seated Aghori Sadhu, adorned in dark robes and ash, smokes a chillum under the hazy sun near Varanasi's sacred grounds.

INDIA KERALA THRISSUR POORAM ELEPHANT FESTIVAL Farmers with their Elephants at the traditional Pooram or Elephant Festival and Temple Festival in the city of Thrissur or Trichur in the Province Kerala in India. India, Thrissur, April, 1998 Copyright: xZoonar.com/URSx 21825688

Monkey mask used in the Ramlilla, the stage play of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state, India, Asia

India, Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad, Prayagraj, Ardh Kumbh Mela. A sadhu or holy man demonstrates his spiritual discipline and his renunciation of worldly life.

Sacred cow with decorated horns for spring celebration India

Young man dressed up as Lord Krishna on the occasion of Janmashtami

Man dressed as Raavan reading an sms

lord hanuman acting on stage

Sadhvis, female ascetics, rarely seen in India, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia

Devotees Stripped To The Waist Waiting To Be Possessed By Khandoba Stand In The River. A Heavy Metal Chain Is Worn Around The Neck To Gain Khandoba'S Power, Believed To Flow Through It. Jejuri, Maharashtra. India

west meets east

Young man dressed up as Lord Krishna and sitting with a butter pot on the occasion of Janmashtami

Laos, Luang Prabang, Mount Phousi. Statue of a man with a long beard.

Priest standing in Thillai Nataraja temple in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, South India, India, Asia

Sadhu, Gaurikund, Himalaya Garhwal, Uttarakhand,Uttar Pradesh,India.

Hindu saint naga baba Shivdasgiri smoking tobacco in Varanasi on Ganga river, Uttar Pradesh, India MR 707A Copyright: xArunxMishra/DinodiaxPhotox

Portrait of cute boy dressed as God Hanuman against white background

A Kandyan dancer in traditional attire participates in the Kandy Day Perahera, which concludes ten days of pageant with a magnificent procession through the city's streets, Sri Lanka

praying to Mother Ganges prior to the Arti at Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India

Transgender, kumbh mela, ujjain, madhya pradesh, india, asia Copyright: xArunxMishra/DinodiaxPhotox

Pramukhswami, head of Swami Narayan Sect, Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India NO MR Copyright: xMukeshxParpiani/DinodiaxPhotox

Benaras is considered as the cultural capital of the oldest and holiest cities in India and home to the most famous ghats (150 steps leading down to the river) in the country. Huge crowds of pilgrims and visitors from all parts of the world gather to take part in this ancient ritual which involves making offerings (puja) to the rising sun. Benaras has been a traditional center of learning of philosophy, Sanskrit, astrology and religion. Benaras, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Spiritual man

Priest and devotees at Ganesh Temple Ranthambhore Rajasthan India

Group of pilgrims resting at Menakshi-Sundareshwara Temple in Madurai, India, Asia

Indian saint anandamayi ma NO MR Copyright: xDinodiaxPhotox

A Bhangra Dancer standing with a Khunda.

Reciting Vedas hindu scripture, kumbakonam, tamil nadu, india Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

Ramsingh Chauhan with long moustache, longest moustache in the world, India, Asia

Sikh Man Doing Bhangra Dance

Shivaji maharaj wax statue, lonavala, pune, maharashtra, india, asia Copyright: xNitinxKelvalkar/DinodiaxPhotox

Man meditating on ghats by the Ganges River, Varanasi, formerly Benares, Uttar Pradesh, India

Sri Krishnan hindu temple. Hindu priest ( Brahmin ) performing puja ceremony and rituals. Singapore.

Kathakali, Kerala Kalamandalam Gopi explains Navarasam. Kerala's classical dance drama in Kerala kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy near Soranur, Kerala, South India, India, Asia

Young man dressed up as Lord Krishna and gesturing on the occasion of Janmashtami

Devotee with pierced body in a religious procession at Thaipusam Festival, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Little India, Singapore

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