A shrine perched on an extinct volcano in Myanmar once thronged with the bustle of pilgrims praying to flower-eating spirit Popa Maedaw, but civil war has cut the complex off from the faithful.
Now, the prayers have fallen silent at the Taung Kalat shrine, the plains around it a battle zone and the faithful mostly blocked from access by fighting and checkpoints manned by all sides in the conflict.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021, when the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's government, ending a 10-year experiment with democracy and sparking nationwide protests.