The peak is revered by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and those belonging to the pre-Buddhist Bon religion.

© Shankar Bhujel/Nexpher Images, via ZUMA Press Wire, via Reuters

The largest contingent appears to have been pilgrims traveling between Nepal and a sacred site in the Chinese region of Tibet.

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Masahide Kanayama, a surgeon and an expert in endometriosis, received an 18-month suspended sentence after a court found him guilty of damaging the sites.

© Graham Dickie for The New York Times