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A photograph of a Panchatapas-style outdoor sadhana in a palm-lined compound. In the foreground a seated figure in saffron-orange robes and orange head covering, wearing a long rudraksha mala, sits with hands folded in meditation on a raised circular platform ringed by glowing embers. Behind, a dark stone Shivalinga draped with a yellow-and-orange garland sits on a white plinth beneath a tall palm trunk. Around the fire rings, several people in white dhotis and white shirts with yellow garlands sit in meditation, one standing man in white with a yellow garland walks in the background, and a figure in striped clothing stands at right. A brass kalasha sits near the central figure, with dark stone deity sculptures lining the left side of the grounds.

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July 07 20102010-07-07Outdoor photograph of a homa-like fire ritual at dawn among coconut palms. A seated figure in orange-saffron robe and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged on a raised mat within a ring of grey ash, with a small brass kalasha/pot in front. Behind him a white stone shrine holds a black lingam draped with a yellow-and-white garland, and a tall copper-coloured pillar rises beside it. Smoke drifts across the scene. Around him, about a dozen men and women in white clothes with yellow shawls sit in meditation before smouldering fire pits. Swamiji (probable): the central figure has long swept-back hair, saffron robe and rudraksha mala.2010-07-11A seated man in saffron-orange robes and a long rudraksha mala sits cross-legged in meditation on a raised circular platform outlined with grey gravel, with a brass vessel placed in front of him. Behind him, a row of people in white clothes with yellow shawls sit in similar circles on sandy ground. To the left stands a white plinth beside a copper-coloured pillar and a black stone deity murti garlanded with red flowers. Tall coconut palms and a small white building with a green roof frame the scene, with smoke rising in the background.2010-07-10 +3 copiesOutdoor ritual scene in a palm-fringed courtyard. A central figure sits cross-legged on a raised mound of earth inside a ring of grey ash, wrapped head-to-toe in a saffron-orange cloth with a hood, and wearing a long brown rudraksha mala. Beside him stands a brass kalasha/pot. Behind is a white stepped plinth bearing a dark stone lingam garlanded with red and yellow flower strands, with a tall copper-coloured post above. Dark stone deity murtis stand to the left. Several people in white dhotis and white shirts, some with yellow shawls, sit or stand around the courtyard, and smoke rises from fire pits. A woven striped mat lies at the lower right.2010-07-22Outdoor ritual scene at a temple grounds with a tall palm grove and cloudy sky. A central white-plinthed shrine holds a black Shivalinga-style stone with a marigold garland, and a tall copper-coloured flagstaff rises behind it. In the foreground a figure in saffron-orange robes sits in meditation posture on sand, with a small brass pot before them. Around the shrine, a circle of about a dozen devotees in white dhotis and white kurtas, many wearing yellow shawls, sit in lotus or cross-legged postures on raked sand inside pebble-ringed mandalas. Stone deity statues and figures stand along the left side, and faint incense smoke drifts through the air.2010-07-04 +1 copiesA man in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged in meditation on a low platform at the centre of a ring of grey ash, with a brass kalasha-style vessel placed before him. Behind him stands a white stepped base holding a black stone Nandi-like bull figure garlanded with red and orange flowers, and a tall copper-coloured pillar draped in garlands rises among palm trees. Several people in white ritual clothes sit meditating on the ash circles around the open-air sacred site, with dark stone deity murti standing to the left, and a kolam or chalk-drawn pattern is visible on the ground at the front.2010-07-14Outdoor temple courtyard scene at Pancha Tapas with tall coconut palms and a copper-clad pillar behind a white stepped platform holding a black stone deity murti garlanded with marigolds. A man in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged at the centre on a raised seat inside a ring of gravel, with a brass kalasha and offering plates before him. Around him, white-clad devotees sit in meditative posture on the ground, some wearing yellow shawls, and dark stone statues stand in the background. A white-cloth-wearing figure sits on the left. The setting suggests a pada puja or darshan gathering.2010-07-14August 03 20102010-08-03Outdoor ritual scene in a courtyard among coconut palms. In the centre, a man in an orange robe with a long dark rudraksha mala sits cross-legged on an orange cushion and mat, hands folded, at the rim of a circular fire pit lined with grey ash and stones and decorated with white kolam lines. A brass kalasha-style vessel sits beside him. To the left, a black Nandi bull statue with garlands rests on an orange plinth. Behind him, several men in white dhotis and bare-chested or orange-clad attire sit in meditation or ritual posture on mats, with firewood stacked nearby and a row of small statues along an orange-painted building.2010-09-16 +1 copiesOutdoor ashram scene at a shrine courtyard with palm trees. At centre, a figure in orange saffron robes sits cross-legged in meditation on a circular gravel-marked platform before a white stepped pedestal. On the pedestal sits a black Nandi bull statue garlanded with red and orange flowers, with a tall copper-coloured pillar and kalasha rising behind. Around the centre, about a dozen people in white clothes with yellow shawls sit in meditative posture on similar circular gravel rings, including a woman in orange and white at left. Stone sculptures of deities and attendants stand among the palms at left, and a small brass vessel sits on the ground in front of the central figure.2010-07-04July 21 20102010-07-21Outdoor photograph of a group of men seated in meditation in a palm-fringed courtyard. A central seated figure wears a saffron-orange robe and sits on a circular stone platform before a white stepped pedestal holding a dark shivalinga draped with red and white flower garlands, with a tall copper-toned kalasha-like column rising behind it. Around them, a dozen or so other men in white dhotis and white shirts with yellow shawls sit on circular raised platforms on sandy ground, several in red or orange shawls. A brass vessel sits in front of the central figure, and a small white kolam-like design is drawn on the ground. Stone deity sculptures and a stone pillar stand at left, with palm trees throughout.2010-06-27