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A photograph of a temple ritual at night. A man with a shaved head, wearing a saffron-orange dhoti and upper cloth, stands with his back to the camera, holding a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward a golden deity figure. The figure is a golden bull or mount decorated with jewelled ornaments, placed beneath a canopy of multicoloured fringed cloth and garlands of marigolds and red flowers. Behind it, a smaller deity image is adorned with garlands and flanked by brass oil lamps. On the left, an ornate golden lion-shaped seat and a golden standing figure with a trident are visible. Brass lamps, a kalasha-like pot and offerings sit on the platform. The walls are terracotta-coloured with white and red steps. No a person appearance cue is clear enough to confirm identity, so the figure is treated as a priest performing puja.

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November 09 20102010-11-09A photograph at night of a priest in saffron-orange robes with a shaved head, his back to the camera, raising a lit oil lamp in his right hand toward a golden deity murti. The murti stands on the right, adorned with a multi-coloured garland of yellow, red, green and white flowers, under a canopy of hanging coloured tassels in purple, yellow, green and red. On the left, a golden ceremonial vehicle with lion carvings and a decorated kalasha-like pillar displays a figure with a crown and garlands. A brass lamp stands on the step below, a ceremonial fan-shaped staff rests nearby, and a person in white clothes stands in the background. The scene reads as an evening puja or aarti.2010-11-09A shaven-headed man in saffron-orange robes stands with his back to the camera, holding a lit lamp or camphor flame toward a decorated deity murti on a golden chariot-like palanquin at left. Beside him on the right, a flower-garlanded golden vahana (animal mount) and deity figures are adorned with red, yellow and green garlands under a fringed canopy with multicoloured tassels. Brass lamps and a golden shield-like object sit on the floor, and the setting is a temple-style hall with orange walls, a decorative striped pillar and a small sign reading SR. This appears to be an aarti being performed before deity murtis in a procession setup. The man's face is not visible, so his identity is not established.2010-11-09A shaved-headed priest in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl stands at night before a golden deity murti, holding a lit flame on a lamp toward the image during a puja. Beside him is a golden lion-like vahana and a tall striped pillar with decorative banners. To the right, a deity murti adorned with red, yellow and white flower garlands sits under a multicoloured fringed canopy. Another priest in white clothing stands in the background, and a white-and-red painted wall with a small sign is behind them. The scene suggests an evening homa or lamp worship in a temple setting.2010-11-09Night photo of an outdoor temple-style ritual. A bald man in saffron-orange robes, seen from behind, raises a lit flame on a brass lamp toward a deity figure. Behind him, a gilded deity murti with a trident and crown sits on a golden throne-like shrine, garlanded with marigolds and green-and-white flowers. To the right, a second murti in a flower-heaped golden palanquin wears garlands in red, yellow and green. Striped red-and-white steps, a decorated pole with colourful bands, and a canopy with hanging tassels in purple, orange, green and red frame the scene. A brass oil lamp stands on the ground in front. A white-clad person stands in the background. Watermarked copyright text appears at lower right.2010-11-09A shaved-headed priest in an orange dhoti and orange upper cloth, wearing a rudraksha-style beaded necklace with a gold pendant, raises a lit oil lamp in aarti before a decorated deity murti. The murti stands on a golden vahana-style base and is framed by garlands of red, yellow and white flowers. A colourful fringed canopy hangs at right, and a gold kalasha-style lamp stand and a golden ceremonial umbrella stand nearby. Partial figures in orange and white appear at the edges, and a person in white is visible in the background near a wall with a small sign. Appearance cues are limited, so the priest is described by role only.2010-11-09A photograph of a priest in saffron-orange robes standing at left, his bald head bare, extending his right arm to hold a small offering lamp or vessel toward a decorated deity murti. The murti is a gold-coloured figure set beneath a multicoloured umbrella canopy, draped with garlands of yellow, white and red flowers and flanked by smaller figures. Brass oil lamps stand on the floor around a stepped altar, with a brass plate and a bowl in the foreground. Striped red and white steps and orange walls form the backdrop, and a sign partly reads S. The scene appears to be an evening puja or aarti at a temple shrine. The priest is not a visually distinctive candidate for a person, so the identity is uncertain.2010-11-09Night photograph of an outdoor ritual at a temple-style shrine. A bald man in orange saffron robes stands at left, holding up a brass lamp with a flame toward a decorated deity murti. The murti is a golden figure mounted on a golden seat, draped with garlands of red, yellow and white flowers and framed by a colourful fringed canopy in red, yellow, green and orange. Brass oil lamps stand on the stone floor, and a brass vessel sits in front, with a brass plate at lower left. A carved wooden seat with a golden lion-shaped ornament is at left. The background has orange walls with white and red striped steps.2010-11-09A night-time outdoor ritual at a temple-like courtyard. A man with a shaved head in a saffron-orange robe stands at left, holding a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward a golden deity murti decorated with a colourful flower garland and a multicoloured canopy overhead. Brass oil lamps stand on the floor, and a silver plate with offerings sits at the bottom. A pale-clothed attendant is visible in the background. The wall behind is terracotta-coloured with white steps. Aarti is being performed before the deity.2010-11-09November 09 20102010-11-09 +2 copiesA photograph of a temple shrine at night. A man in saffron-orange robes and bare upper body stands at left, bent forward and holding a flaming lamp or torch toward a gilded deity murti in front of a garlanded backdrop of red, yellow, white and green flower garlands. Brass oil lamps with flames stand on the floor, and a brass kalasha-like vessel sits near the base. Flower offerings lie at the foot of the murti, and a gold-coloured figure is visible to the far left and right. The scene suggests an evening puja or aarti at a temple shrine. The person's face is not visible and no identity is asserted.2010-11-09A man in saffron-orange robes and a matching shawl performs aarti at night, holding a lit oil lamp with flames raised toward a shrine. He wears a beaded mala necklace and a wristwatch, and his head is shaved. To the right, a golden deity murti is dressed in a richly garlanded arrangement of red, yellow and green flowers beneath a multicoloured fringed canopy. Golden ceremonial items, a brass lamp stand and a decorated kalasha-style pillar surround the shrine, while a person in white stands at the edge and another figure claps at the left edge. Oranges and marigolds decorate the hall.2010-11-09