A Hindu devotee looks skyward as he and others perform "Tarpan", a ritual to pay obeisance to one's forefathers, on the last day for offering prayers to ancestors called "Pitrupaksh" in Mumbai, India on October 15, 2012.

Hindu devotees perform "Tarpan" rituals on the banks of the holy river Ganga in Kolkata on October 15, 2012.

Hindu devotees take part in the "Tarpan" ritual during Mahalaya prayers at the banks of the Ganga River in Kolkata on October 15, 2012.

Hindu devotees perform "Tarpan" rituals on the banks of the holy river Ganga in Kolkata on October 15, 2012.

Devotees pray in front of an idol of the Hindu God Ganesha in Ahmadabad, India, Sept. 19, 2012. The ten-day-long Ganesh festival began Wednesday and ends with the immersion of idols in water on the 10th day.

A Hindu devotee carries an idol of the Hindu God Ganesha during a procession in Jammu, India, Sept. 19.

Hindu devotees dance with an idol of Hindu God Ganesha as they take part in a Ganesha Chaturti festival procession in Mumbai, India, Sept. 19.

Artists give finishing touches to an idol of the Hindu God Ganesha on the occasion of the Ganesha Chatruthi festival in Mumbai, India, Sept. 19.

A Hindu devotee is reflected in the water as makes an oil lamp offering on the River Ganges in Allahabad, India, during an evening ritual on Sept. 9. The Ganges is sacred in Hinduism and the faithful believe that bathing the river can cleanse them of their sins and free them from the cycle of life and rebirth.

Hindu devotees wash themselves and perform religious rituals on the banks of the Bagmati River on Friday.

Balinese burn sarcophagi in the shape of buffaloes during a Balinese Hindu mass cremation ceremony called 'Ngaben' at a cemetery in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, on 27 July. More than 130 corpses were burnt during the collective cremation for financial reasons. Cremation is an essential rite of passage for Balinese Hindus, as it is considered a means of releasing the soul from the body so that it can be reincarnated.

Balinese men help to burn sarcophagi in the shape of buffaloes during a Balinese Hindu mass cremation ceremony called 'Ngaben' at a cemetery in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, on July 27.

A policeman looks on near the mangled wreckage of a truck which crashed near Pappad Morh in Samba district, India, on July 27, 2012.

A police official said the truck was carrying pilgrims visiting a Hindu shrine and 16 people were killed in the accident.

Indian artists dressed as characters from the movie Avatar perform during the final procession of the eleven day traditional festival of 'Bonalu', a ritual offering to the goddess MahaKali at Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Temple in Hyderabad on Monday. The Goddess is honoured mostly by women during Bonalu festival with offerings of food and dancing.

A performer blows fire from his mouth as he performs during the annual Hindu religious festival of Bonalu in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. The word "Bonalu" is derived from the Telugu language word "Bhojanalu", the food offered to Goddess Kali, the Hindu goddess of power. The main ritual in the month-long festival involves offering cooked rice, jaggery, curd, water and other dishes, which are brought by women in earthen pots, to the Goddess Kali. Devotees believe that the offerings ward off evils and epidemics during the monsoon season.

Indian artists wait to perform during a procession of "Bonalu" festival in Hyderabad, India. Bonalu is a Hindu folk festival of the Telangana region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

An Indian artist dressed as Hindu Goddess MahaKali performs in the street during the final procession of the eleven day traditional festival of 'Bonalu', a ritual offering to the goddess MahaKali at Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Temple in Hyderabad.

Kanwarias carry water from the River Ganges in New Delhi, India on July 10, 2012.

Kanwarias, worshippers of Hindu God Shiva, dance to devotional songs in New Delhi.

A Kanwaria walks with others in a pilgrimage in New Delhi.