Introduction

From celestial beings to ancestral spirits, and from natural forces to animals, worship manifests in strikingly diverse forms across Asian cultures. These practices often offer rich insight into religion, mythology and local tradition. Through acts of devotion, worshippers seek deeper connection with the deities, figures or objects they revere. Textual records, works of art and ceremonial artefacts have become vital material evidence to preserve and transmit the ways in which worship has been expressed, remembered and renewed over time.

This online display brings together a selection of artworks, photographs and textual materials from the collections of the Royal Asiatic Society to explore the idea of worship across Asian cultures. Here, ‘worship’ is used in a broad sense to encompass practices of devotion, veneration, prayer, pilgrimage and ritual observance, while recognising that these categories do not correspond exactly across the traditions represented. Although these materials are now preserved within a research collection rather than a devotional setting, some continue to possess sacred or devotional significance for the communities and traditions from which they come.

Whether undertaken individually or communally, locally or regionally, worship reveals the love, respect or devotion that one is willing and capable to offer.

Sword Worship

In Rajput traditions, the sword is believed to embody divine knowledge and power, and is closely associated with several formidable Hindu deities. This miniature depicts Maharana Bhim Singh, ruler of Mewar (r. 1778–1828), on the centre left performing the rite of sword worship. In this ceremony, a sword is installed on an altar for veneration. The rite marks the beginning of Navaratri, a festival honouring Durga, the Hindu goddess.

In his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (1829–32), James Tod (1782–1835) describes the Rajput practice of venerating arms by swearing ‘by the steel’ and prostrating before their swords and other weapons.

The Architect of the Universe

In Hinduism, deities are also worshipped for their mastery of craft and skill. Vishvakarma, the Hindu god considered as the architect of the universe, is shown here sitting on a throne, holding an array of tools in his ten arms. He is worshipped by artisans positioned on either side, each accompanied by the instruments of their trade.

Today, Vishvakarma continues to be honoured across craft communities in South Asia, including carpenters, blacksmiths, stonemasons, bronzesmiths, goldsmiths and many others.

Attaining Enlightenment

According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating beneath a bodhi tree. The tree is revered as a symbol of peace, wisdom and awakening, serving as a site for prayers, teachings and other acts of devotion.

This late-19th-century photograph shows a Buddhist novice kneeling in prayer beside a bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. The tree is believed to have grown from a branch of the original bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar, India, where the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment.

Accumulating Virtue

‘Poems of Three Saints’ is a collection of Taoist works that encourage the cultivation of virtue, including most notably Treatise on the Response of the Tao dating from the 12th century.

This illustrated printed booklet presents the scripture text alongside illustrations that guide worshippers in their practice. The bold characters following the title page proclaim that the text may be recited by men or women, day or night, so that ‘all will go smoothly’. As encouragement, the booklet includes a testimonial from an individual who reports recovering from a severe illness through devoted recitation of the scripture.

Commemorating a Journey

Pilgrimage scrolls commemorated journeys to the sacred sites of Islam. This example combines places associated with the Hajj and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina with sites of particular importance in Shiʿi devotion, concluding at Karbala in Iraq. The outer walls of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina are delineated by an inscription in Kufic script of the shahāda (testimony of faith), lā ilāha illā Allāh Muḥammad rasūl Allāh (There is no God but God and Muḥammad is the Messenger of God).

A Test of Faith

Pilgrimage to Lhasa, the home of many important Tibetan Buddhist sites, is regarded as a profound act of worship for Tibetan Buddhists. Along the journey, some pilgrims perform full body prostrations, lowering their forehead, torso, hands and knees to the ground to express devotion and humility. This demanding practice tests both the pilgrim’s faith and physical endurance, often taking months or even years to complete. To protect themselves from rough roads and stones, pilgrims often wear protective gear such as aprons and hand pads, as seen in this photograph.

The Home of the Guanyin

Mount Putuo, located on an island off China’s eastern coast, is known as one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism and has been a major pilgrimage destination since the Tang dynasty. It is considered the sacred home of the Guanyin Bodhisattva.

This lightly coloured woodblock printed map presents a panoramic view of the mountain, showing its temples, monasteries and the routes that connect them. Such maps were likely produced as souvenirs for pilgrims, offering both guidance and a lasting reminder of their journey.

Ancient Worship

Scenes and symbols of worship are among the most common motifs found on Babylonian and Assyrian seals, small carved cylinders or stones serving as a mark or ownership or identification. This plaster cast of an Assyrian seal depicts a worshipper on the leftmost raising their hands before a deity who is standing on top a mythological creature combining a human head, bird’s body and scorpion’s tail. In his article Six Babylonian and Assyrian Seals (JRAS, 1927), Assyriologist Stephen Langdon (1876–1937) discusses two known types of this composite creature and highlights other curious features of the seal’s iconography.

The Sacred Fire

In Zoroastrian worship, Atash Kadeh, or fire temple, is a sacred site where a flame is placed upon an altar to symbolise divine light and wisdom. This photograph shows a rock carved fire altar in Tang-i-Karam, a village in Fars, Iran, documented during a survey conducted by the British-Hungarian archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862–1943) between November 1933 and May 1934. Stein later published his findings on this expedition in the essay An Archaeological Tour in the Ancient Persis (Iraq, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1936).

When the Hidden is Revealed

Benzaiten, the Buddhist-Shinto goddess associated with speech, water, wealth and music, traces her origins to the Hindu goddess Saraswati. This colour triptych print depicts a large crowd gathered for the unveiling of Benzaiten at Enoshima Shrine, Kanagawa, Japan, a site dedicated to her worship. Sacred images of deities in Buddhist temples, such as statues, are typically kept hidden from public view and revealed only during specific ceremonies known as kaichō, literally ‘opening the curtain’. Such occasions remain major religious events, drawing pilgrims from across the country.

Venerating Ancestors

Ancestor worship is a longstanding practice where living individuals honour the spirits of deceased relatives. In China, many believe that venerating their ancestors brings protection and blessings for health, safety and prosperity. This late-19th-century glass slide image from China depicts an individual pouring wine onto the floor before an altar in offering to ancestors. Further research indicates that this scene might have a more secular setting: a re-enactment of a ceremonial ritual marking the opening of a photographic studio, where ancestral worship was performed to bestow blessings upon the new business.

A Reward for Devotion

This Persian manuscript of Subḥat al Abrār (‘The Rosary of the Pious’), a long poem by the master poet Jāmī, features a lacquered illustrated binding depicting a scene of book presentation to a princely figure while musicians play and dance. The decoration resonates with its recorded provenance: an inscription on the flyleaf notes that the manuscript was given to a Sadr al Dīn Muḥammad as a reward for completing the fast during Ramadan in 1010 AH/AD 1602. Throughout the month of Ramadan, many Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk to express their devotion to God.

To See More...

We hope you enjoyed viewing this online display. If you are interested in seeing more of our collections, our digitised manuscripts, artworks, photographs and archives are freely accessible in our Digital Library.