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A nighttime ritual scene at an outdoor stage lit by string lights and hanging garlands. A smiling person in white dhoti and shawl with a golden-yellow turban and beaded necklace sits on an ornate red and gold throne. Nearby, a priest in white with a shaved head and sacred thread sits at a fire-side altar with a metal vessel and brass plates. Behind them, attendants in white and yellow stand near a decorated deity murti garlanded with flowers. Dishes of red kumkum and offerings sit on a white cloth, and brass lamps and a bronze pot rest on the altar steps. Hanging colourful painted cylinders and a banner in Kannada script frame the stage.

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October 16 20102010-10-16Night photo of an outdoor ritual stage at an ashram. A smiling person in white clothing, with a gold-and-white turban, a gold necklace and a red-cushioned gold throne, sits center stage. Beside the throne, a priest in white with a shawl sits at a microphone, and several people in white stand behind a deity murti decorated with flowers on the left. A fire pit with oil lamps and brass vessels sits in front, and bowls of red kumkum or flowers rest on a white cloth. Strings of lights, leaf garlands and hanging cloth banners in red, orange and blue frame the scene. The person on the throne has no visible long hair, saffron robes or rudraksha mala, so identity is unclear.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor puja at a temple-style pavilion decorated with string lights and hanging leaves. A deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms, garlanded with white and red flowers, stands on the left beside smaller murtis. Three men in white dhoti-style clothing with reddish-maroon borders attend the ritual: one standing at left with bare upper body and a gold chain, one bending over a white stone homa/yagna platform holding a ritual implement, and a third man at right wearing white robes and a saffron/cream turban, standing beside an ornate red and gold throne. The white stone platform holds brass vessels, kalasha-like pots, marigold petals and a small lamp, with white fabric and flower petals on the ground. A banner with Kannada-style script hangs in the background.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor event on a raised orange-carpeted platform. A man seated on an ornate red-upholstered gold throne wears an orange robe, long orange-beaded necklace, and has long hair and a tilak on the forehead; he sits with hands folded. a person (long swept hair, orange ornate robe, mala necklace, throne). To the left, shaved-headed priests in white dhoti with gold chains perform a ritual at a stone fire pit with brass lamps and a flower-filled bowl. A standing attendant in white with orange shawl stands to the right beside a decorated pillar. Behind the platform stands a red banner reading Dasara with Kannada text and dates, and a garlanded bamboo-leaf arch hangs overhead.2010-10-15Night outdoor ritual photo at a homa fire pit. A man seated on an ornate red and gold throne wears a saffron-coloured turban, white dhoti and a white shawl, with several beaded necklaces and garlands, and smiles while a priest in white attends to him. Smoke rises from a square fire pit lined with flower petals, brass vessels, oil lamps and fruit offerings. Beside him on a white throne sits an older bearded man in orange-red robes, and a figure in saffron clothing stands behind. Strings of green leaves and hanging yellow and red banners frame the scene, with a devotional poster on the right.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual photo. A man in white dhoti and shawl, wearing a cream turban and a gold-beaded necklace, sits barefoot on an ornate red and gold throne. To the left, a shaved-headed priest in white with a gold necklace sits behind a microphone holding a book. In front, a square homa fire pit with white-painted edges, flower petals, a brass oil lamp with burning flame, a silver kalasha pot and a conch shell. Several seated women in red and saffron saris and children watch on the right, with silver trays of red offerings. Hanging yellow and green decorated pillars, marigold garlands and leaf festoons frame the stage. Both men are shown in ritual dress; a portrait labelled Paramahamsa Nithyananda could not be read.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photo of an outdoor Dasara event with a red-and-gold throne-style chair on an orange-draped stage. A man in a cream turban, white dhoti and shawl with gold beaded necklaces sits on the chair with hands clasped, a bare-chested pose is not shown. Beside the stage, a second man in white with a shaved head and white robe sits cross-legged at a microphone reading from an open book, wearing gold beads and a white-and-maroon cloth. Behind them a standing man in white robes, a line of red fairy lights, a hanging string of green leaves, a standing fan, and a red banner with Kannada text. White steps are strewn with yellow and pink flowers, with a brass vessel and a tray of offerings at the lower right.2010-10-16Night outdoor homa ceremony with smoke rising from a white stepped fire pit lined with marigold petals and offerings. A man in white ceremonial clothes, wearing a saffron-coloured turban and a gold-beaded necklace, sits smiling on an ornate red and gold throne. Beside the pit a priest in saffron-orange garments kneels tending the fire. Other figures in white and orange stand behind, and a woman in a white sari stands at left. Brass lamps, kalasha pots, fruit, flower garlands and a bundle of green cloth sit on a foreground table. Above, banana-leaf festoons hang between tall decorated pillars and a large ring, and a backdrop with printed text is visible at right.2010-10-16Night outdoor ritual stage with a central man seated on an ornate red velvet throne with gold trim, wearing a white one-shoulder cloth, a light-coloured turban and a gold bead necklace, hands folded in his lap. Beside him, a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti with gold beads sits before a microphone. A square white-draped fire pit with flower petals and brass vessels lies in front, with a tall brass oil lamp lit at left and a pink garlanded object nearby. Mango-leaf garlands and painted cylindrical banners hang behind. Several women and children in saris sit on the right near trays of red offerings.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 15 20102010-10-15