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Night outdoor aarti at a Tiruvannamalai temple courtyard. Two priests in white dhotis with red-and-gold borders stand at right and centre, raising multi-wick brass oil lamps (aarti lamps) and ringing handbells. The right priest has white sacred marks on his bare upper body and a red-and-white shawl over his shoulder. Seated devotees in white clothes fill the background, with brass lamps and a bell set on a mat in the foreground. A white pillar and a lamp post stand at left under dark trees.

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Night outdoor photo of an aarti ceremony. Two priests in white dhotis and white shawls with red-and-gold borders stand on a raised walkway, each lifting a lit oil lamp or camphor flame high in one hand. Brass lamps and offerings sit on the ground at right. Large crowds of seated, mostly white-clad devotees fill the background, lit by small string lights and tall lamp posts, with two white stone pillars at left.2011-04-17Night photo of an outdoor aarti at Tiruvannamalai. Two priests in white dhotis and shoulder cloths, one with a red-bordered cloth and a bare upper torso, raise oil lamps and a brass lamp stand with flames toward the dark sky. A row of brass vessels and lamps sits on a mat beside them. Behind them a large seated crowd in white clothes faces the stage, with string lights and white pillars at the left edge. Two women in the foreground have flowers in their hair.2011-04-17Night outdoor ritual at a temple-like courtyard with dim lamps and dark trees behind. Two shaven-headed priests in white dhotis and shawls stand on a sandy floor, holding small silver bells in their right hands; the nearer priest has a red-and-white-bordered shawl and white sacred marks on his upper body, while the other wears a white dhoti with a yellow border and an orange cloth at the waist. Brass oil lamps and ritual vessels are arranged on mats before them, and a seated woman in a red sari sits among them. Several dozen devotees in white sit on the ground in rows behind, along with women in saris and children in the foreground, watching the rite. Electric lamps and a flame-lit lamp stand near the seating area.2011-04-17Night outdoor ritual scene at a temple-like courtyard. Two priests in white dhotis and white shawls stand on a raised stone platform holding lit oil lamps and brass vessels, facing right. Brass lamps and offering items sit on the ground in front. A street lamp glows in the background, and a large crowd of seated people in white clothes fills the dark courtyard. Women in the foreground have jasmine flowers in their hair. Lit oil lamps line the distant area.2011-04-17Night outdoor aarti at a temple-like courtyard with a dark sky above. In the foreground a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl holds a brass lamp tray with multiple flames in his right hand. Behind him a second priest in white raises a large tiered brass lamp high overhead, its flames blazing. Other white-clad priests stand and kneel nearby, and a line of seated devotees in white and yellow clothing sit on the sandy ground, some with hands pressed together in prayer. A crowd of standing and seated people fills the background, with small oil lamps glowing along the ground and a white pillar and steps at the right edge. Brass vessels rest on the floor near the seated women.2011-04-17Night outdoor ceremony at a temple-like open courtyard lit by a few electric lamps and a string of small lights. Two priests in white dhotis and shawls with red-bordered cloth stand at the right and centre, each holding a lit brass aarti lamp aloft, a classic aarti offering. The foreground priest is bare-chested with white and red sacred marks on his arm. Rows of white-clad seated devotees fill the right and background, with a large crowd beyond. Along the left, a raised platform with white pillars holds garlanded deity murtis and a row of offerings. Dark trees form the backdrop, and a small lit oil lamp sits on the ground in front of the platform.2011-04-17Night outdoor ritual photograph of an aarti at an evening temple-grounds gathering. In the foreground a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and white shawl with red border holds a brass lamp of several flames toward the crowd, with white markings on his arms and a rudraksha-style bead necklace. Behind him another priest in white holds a lit lamp, and a tall tiered lamp stand glows with many small flames. Seated devotees in white and yellow-bordered saris and dhotis, some with hands folded, fill the walkway, with a large crowd of standing people in white stretching into the dark background. Lamps and small flames line the steps at right.2011-04-17Night outdoor ritual at a dirt-floored courtyard lined with white pillars and red-and-white striped plinths, with string lights and lamps in the background. Two priests in white dhotis with red-bordered shawls stand at the front; the foreground priest holds a small bell in one hand and a brass vessel in the other, while the second priest holds a flaming lamp. Brass ritual items sit on a mat before them. A large seated crowd, mostly women in white saris, red and orange saris, claps hands in devotion. No one is clearly identified as a person.2011-04-17Night-time outdoor ritual at a large open ground lit by small string lights and tall lamps. In the foreground a bare-chested man in white dhoti and shawl stands on a striped mat holding a small object, while a seated woman in white with a yellow border holds a brass plate of burning lamps. Behind them a second white-clad priest stands by a row of flaming oil lamps. Rows of devotees in white sit on the left with hands pressed together in prayer, and a brass vessel rests on the ground at the bottom edge. White pillars with red and white striped bases line the right side of the path.2011-04-17Night photograph of an outdoor evening aarti at a Tiruvannamalai ceremony. In the left foreground a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with a white-painted torso holds a multi-flame brass lamp toward the crowd. Behind him a second priest in white raises a tall tiered oil-lamp arrangement high overhead, with flames visible. Seated women and girls in white and yellow saris kneel on the ground, some with hands folded in prayer, and a large crowd in white clothing stands and sits in the darkness beyond. A bell rests on the floor, and small lamps glow along the edge of a raised platform at right. The main subject is the aarti offering by the priests.2011-04-17Night outdoor aarti at a temple-style ground, lit by floodlights and strings of small lights. In the foreground a priest in white dhoti and shirt with red-bordered shawl holds a brass lamp aloft with a bright flame, while a second priest in white stands further back holding a lamp. Brass puja vessels and a bell rest on a mat before them. Rows of seated devotees in white and colourful saris and dhotis fill the right side, and white pillars and seating blocks mark the courtyard on the left.2011-04-17Night outdoor ritual at a temple-like ground lit by a few street lamps and string lights. In the foreground, several seated women in white saris with gold borders and orange or red garments, many with hands pressed together in namaskar, face a standing priest in a white dhoti and shawl with red-bordered edges. The priest holds a brass vessel and raises a lit flame, while another white-clad priest with a flame stands behind him. Brass oil lamps sit on a mat in front of the priests, and white pillars and a raised platform with offerings appear at the left. The crowd extends back into the darkness, numbering in the many hundreds of people.2011-04-17