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Night-time puja at a decorated shrine before large deity murtis with elaborate white and silver backdrops. On the left, a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl holds a lit flame aloft while a kneeling assistant in white beside him tends offerings. A cameraman in white stands at the far left filming. Several children and a young woman in red-and-gold dress sit at the right near the murtis, and a bright lamp burns on the platform. Figures include a pink-faced Ganesha, a blue-skinned goddess with many arms and weapons, and a lion-mounted Durga. Garlands of green leaves hang overhead, and offering plates with flowers and leaves sit in the foreground.

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October 16 20102010-10-16A photograph of a Navaratri-style puja in a temple hall. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a red-bordered cloth over one shoulder, stands on a raised platform holding a ritual implement toward the shrine. Beside him a seated man in white with a gold necklace and sandalwood markings on his arms performs the rite, while a small girl in a red-and-gold dress sits near the fire pit. The shrine holds a pink Ganesha murti garlanded in purple, a white-decorated deity murti of the goddess with a lion mount, and a large brass oil lamp. Small children in red dresses sit among brass vessels, flowers and fruit. A small fire burns in a pit in the foreground.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA photograph of a homa ritual before a set of deity murtis at night. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl, wearing a gold necklace and holding a small vessel and a ladle-like spoon, pours offerings toward a fire. A seated priest in white with a gold chain and sandalwood marks on his arms gestures with his hands near the flames. Two young girls in maroon and red traditional dress sit at the fire pit. Behind them stand a large Ganesha murti with a pink body and garlands, a goddess murti in pink and yellow garlands, and a large Durga murti with a lion mount and a crown. Brass lamps and an ornate umbrella canopy frame the scene with string lights overhead. A plate of flowers and brass bowls sit at the base of the fire pit.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA night puja before a large decorated deity murti of Durga seated on a lion, with a mango-leaf garland strung across the top of the frame. A priest in white dhoti and shawl stands at left raising a lit flame over the murti. A second priest in white kneels at lower left beside brass bowls and offerings, and a man in white at right sits near the platform. Several girls in red and maroon saris sit on the mat in front of the shrine. Brass oil lamps, a tall white ceremonial umbrella and silver-white floral arches frame the deity. Smaller deity figures stand on either side. Some devotees are visible at the bottom edge. No a person candidate is clearly visible.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA temple puja scene in front of a large white-and-blue Durga murti with multiple raised arms holding weapons, a lion mount beside her, and a smaller pink Ganesha murti and a white-framed goddess figure at center. A man in white dhoti and shawl with red border stands at left holding a brass plate of fruit as an offering. Seated before the altar are young girls in maroon and red dresses and a bald man in white with gold necklaces at left. Brass oil lamps, flower garlands, marigold and white decorations, and a small framed deity image on the altar fill the frame. The photo is a Chandi Homa puja in a temple setting.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesA photograph of an evening Chandi Homa ritual at a temple stage decorated with large white and silver-embellished deity murtis, including a multi-armed goddess figure with a lion mount and an elephant-headed deity. Two priests stand at left, one in white dhoti with a bare upper body and the other in white with a red-bordered cloth over the shoulder. Several women sit cross-legged in red, orange and maroon saris before a homa area with kalasha pots, fruits, brass vessels, oil lamps and bundles of sticks. A seated crowd of devotees, including children, fills the foreground. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photograph of a homa or yagna ritual before a large decorated deity murti with a golden crown and multiple arms, flanked by smaller figures. A priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a rudraksha-style bead necklace, holds a lit lamp or flame aloft at left. Seated devotees in white clothes at right and centre have their hands folded. In front is a white marble-edged square fire pit with a dark central opening, scattered flower petals, brass vessels, a kalasha, fruit and offerings. Strings of red fairy lights and a fringed canopy frame the scene, with smoke rising in the air.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight ritual photograph in a temple-style pandal decorated with strings of lights and leaf garlands. On a raised platform, a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and white upper cloth holds a lit lamp toward a flame, while a kneeling assistant in white with a gold necklace tends brass vessels and offerings. Behind them stand large white floral-decorated deity murtis, including a multi-armed goddess figure holding weapons. At right, a seated person in white with a turban sits on a red and gold throne-like chair beside a standing attendant. Children in red and maroon traditional dress and onlookers sit in the foreground, and banners in Kannada script hang in the background.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photograph of a Devi puja at an outdoor stage. A large goddess murti with many arms, dark flowing hair and a lion mount stands at the centre, framed by white floral arches, garlands and a canopy of green leaves. Several smaller murtis flank her. In the foreground a bare-chested priest in white dhoti holds a brass vessel and raises one arm toward the altar. Another white-clad priest kneels at the platform, and a seated man in orange robes with white markings sits to the right, his palms together. Young girls in red and maroon clothes sit among the worshippers, and oil lamps and brass vessels stand on the white platform steps, with flower petals scattered across the cloth.2010-10-16A photograph of an evening homa at a festival stage decorated with a white floral arch, strings of green mango leaves and fairy lights. A priest in white dhoti and shawl, bare-chested with a sacred thread, holds up a flaming lamp over a fire pit where a young assistant in white kneels. Several young girls in red and maroon dresses sit behind the fire pit. Painted and sculpted deity figures stand in the background, including a figure with a trident-like weapon. On the right, a seated man in a white shawl and cream turban sits on a red and gold throne with hands folded, beside an attendant in orange robes. A crowd of devotees is visible in the foreground.2010-10-16 +1 copies