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A shaven-headed priest in white dhoti, bare-shouldered, with white vertical tilak marks on his forehead and arms and a gold-and-bead necklace, lifts a silver aarti lamp with a lit flame in his right hand. Behind him a bearded man in white clothes holds a silver ornate lamp stand, and on the right a young man in white with a gold chain and white shawl sits with hands folded. Women with long braided hair sit in the foreground, and brass and silver puja plates with offerings, including an apple, fill the lower right. The setting appears to be a puja or aarti ritual.

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A temple ritual scene in which a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti, with white tripundra markings on his forehead and arm and a rudraksha mala with gold beads, raises a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward the viewer. Around him, white-clad devotees sit and stand, one man in a white shirt holding a brass vessel, and a younger man in white with a long gold chain. Brass and silver plates of offerings, including an apple, rest in front of them. A woman with long braided hair sits at the right foreground.2010-10-19A photograph of a ritual scene with a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with a red border, wearing a heavy gold bead necklace and gold bangle, holding a small silver lamp (oil lamp) with a flame. Beside him a woman in a white sari with green and gold border presses her palms together in prayer, wearing a dark beaded mala and a red bindi. Behind them, a man in a white shawl and gold necklace speaks into a microphone, and another man in an orange cloth with a gold necklace and forehead markings sits at right. Silver plates and small lamps with lit flames are in the foreground, with a blurred person at lower left. Visible white vibhuti/tilak lines mark several foreheads and arms.2010-10-22 +1 copiesOctober 22 20142014-10-22 +1 copiesOctober 22 20142014-10-22 +1 copiesA photograph of a ritual in progress indoors. A shaven-headed man in white dhoti and a bare chest, wearing a gold beaded necklace and a gold pendant, holds up a lit incense stick and a small offering dish, with white sacred ash marks on his forehead and arm. Smoke rises from the incense. Around him, other white-clad men wear gold necklaces, white and red sacred marks, and one woman with a red bindi holds a brass lamp. A woman with a yellow cloth in the foreground is also present. The setting appears to be a ceremonial hall with a dark backdrop.2010-10-22 +1 copiesA group of devotees performs a ritual with oil lamps and silver puja plates in an indoor hall. In the foreground a man in white dhoti with a red border and a rudraksha mala holds a small lit lamp, with white vibhuti horizontal lines on his forehead and arms. Beside him a woman in a red-bordered white sari and a bangle stands with hands folded in prayer. A young boy in white kurta holds a lamp near his forehead. At right a shaved-headed man wears an orange cloth and white vibhuti marks. Other people wear white and yellow garments, and a silver tray with offerings lies in front of them.2010-10-28A photograph of a puja ceremony in progress. In the foreground a shaven-headed priest in a white dhoti with a maroon border and sacred ash marks on his forehead and chest holds up a lit oil lamp, its flame bright. Beside him a woman in a white sari with a black-beaded necklace raises a lamp with a small silver stand. To the left a woman with curly light hair in a white and green garment with a red shawl watches. Behind them a man in a saffron-orange robe with a gold-and-rudraksha necklace sits near a microphone. A tray of fruit, brass plates and coins lies at lower right, and a man in white stands at the far right. Garlands and flowers decorate the background.2010-10-18 +1 copiesA photograph of a pada puja-style ritual in a hall with maroon curtains. Several priests in white dhotis and shawls, many with gold necklaces and white vibhuti lines on their foreheads, sit at a low table set with silver bowls and an offering tray with pink flowers. A man on the left holds an incense stick, and smoke rises through the frame. A woman in a white sari with a gold border sits center, hands folded, and a young devotee at the right holds a small lamp. Seated devotees fill the foreground, partly cut off by the frame.2010-10-19A ritual puja in an indoor room with a golden-edged wooden seat draped in orange cloth and a red cushion at left. A bald man in white dhoti and shawl with white tilak, wearing a gold necklace and a striped sash, holds a lit oil lamp and speaks while seated with others. A woman in an orange shawl with a red bindi sits with hands folded in prayer, holding a lamp. Two more women in white and yellow hold lamps, and a bald man at lower left and a woman with hair in a bun at lower center are partly visible. Silver plates with flowers, fruit and offerings sit before them. A lit oil lamp stands on a silver holder at right.2010-10-21A photograph of a ritual puja in an indoor hall. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and a gold-beaded necklace with a green-and-gold border holds a lit oil lamp and performs aarti with ash markings on his forehead and arms. Beside him a woman in an orange sari with a red bindi holds a lit lamp with hands pressed together, and other devotees in white and yellow clothes sit with palms joined. In the foreground, the backs of heads and hands hold silver plates with flower petals and offerings. At left, a gold-carved wooden seat draped with orange and red cloth sits beside the lamps. A white ceiling fan and a dark curtain are visible in the background.2010-10-21A pada puja ritual in an indoor hall. Several people in white ceremonial dhotis and shawls sit on the floor around a gold-coloured stand holding brass vessels and a pink flower offering. A priest with a shaved head and vertical sandalwood marks holds a small lamp near the vessels. On the right, a figure in saffron-orange robes sits on a red-cushioned gold throne, his feet and hands visible; his face is not visible. A man at left raises a lamp above his head, and a woman in white with folded hands sits nearby. Two women with hair tied back are seen from behind in the foreground. A tray with fruit and flowers sits on a wooden cabinet behind the throne. Visible people: about 10.2010-10-19A shaved-headed man in a white dhoti and white shawl with a red border holds a silver lamp with a lit flame in both hands during a ritual. He wears white horizontal tilak and sacred ash markings on his forehead, chest and arms, a red-and-white forehead dot, a rudraksha mala, a long gold ceremonial necklace and bangles. Behind him a woman in a yellow sari and a second woman in orange stand, and an orange cloth and a gold-carved wooden panel frame the scene. Lit oil lamps and the back of a seated head appear in the foreground.2010-10-23