Hands of a priestess of Candomblé seen during the ritual ceremony in honor to Yemanjá in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil.

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Hands of a priestess of Candomblé (Mãe-de-santo, iyalorishá) seen during the ritual ceremony in honor to Yemanjá, the goddess of the sea, in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil, 5 February 2012. Yemanjá, originally from the ancient Yoruba mythology, is one of the most popular ‘orixás’, the deities from the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé. Every year on February 5th, hundreds of Yemanjá devotees participate in a colorful celebration in her honor. Faithful, usually dressed in the traditional white, gather on the banks of Paraguaçu river to leave offerings for their goddess. Gifts for Yemanjá include flowers, perfumes or jewelry. Dancing in the circle and singing ancestral Yoruba prayers, sometimes the followers enter into a trance and become possessed by the spirits. Although Yemanjá is widely worshipped throughout Latin America, including south of Brazil, Uruguay, Cuba or Haiti, the most popular cult is maintained in Bahia, Brazil.

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Size: 3544px × 5316px
Location: Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil
Photo credit: © Jan Sochor / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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