(RNS) — Each week Religion News Service presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. This week’s gallery includes the first anniversary of the mass shooting at Tree of Life synagogue, the Diwali festival of lights and more.
People light earthen lamps on the banks of the River Sarayu as part of Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya, India, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. The Hindu festival of lights, marked by lighting lamps and offering prayers to the goddess of wealth Lakshmi, was celebrated on Oct 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Some children begin the Diwali morning by receiving an oil bath from their mother, like this family near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 27, 2019. Oil baths are given by elders to youngsters as a ritual of purification. Afterward, the oil is rinsed with holy water from the Ganges, which is thought to complete the cleansing and bring blessings. RNS photo by Alexandra Radu
Muslims arrive to attend a three-day religious congregation in Raiwind near Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct 31, 2019. The annual Raiwind Markaz Ijtema, said to be the largest religious gathering after hajj, draws thousands of people from all over Pakistan and other countries, including Britain and the United States. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
An exile Tibetan artist in traditional costume waits to perform a welcome dance for the Dalai Lama, at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharmsala, India, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. The institute, which was established to preserve and promote Tibetan theatrical arts, celebrated its 60th founding anniversary Tuesday. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
Three youngsters hang a heart on a fence outside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, the first anniversary of the shooting at the synagogue, that killed 11 worshippers. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Community members react as they watch a video remembering the victims of the Tree of Life synagogue attack during a one-year commemoration at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)
Monique Mead plays her violin on the sidewalk outside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, the first anniversary of the shooting at the synagogue that killed 11 worshippers. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
A destroyed compound near the village of Barisha, in Idlib province, Syria, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, after an operation by the U.S. military that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Hindu priest crawls under a cow as part of worship rituals during the Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019. Cows, considered sacred by Hindus, are worshipped during the festival, dedicated to the Hindu goddess of wealth Lakshmi. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepalese Hindus perform worship rituals to a cow during the Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019. Cows, considered sacred by Hindus, are worshipped during the festival, dedicated to the Hindu goddess of wealth Lakshmi. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
