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A photograph of a temple shrine during a puja. A shirtless priest in white dhoti sits on the right, reading from a sheet of paper beside a silver tray of petals and a brass bell. Two seated devotees in the foreground face the shrine: one wears a white top, the other a long yellow pleated garment and a sari-like wrap. A decorated murti of a goddess in a green and magenta silk sari stands on a purple cloth before a golden arched altar; a large black-stone deity in a tall crown and orange garland stands behind her with a jeweled chest garland. Flowers in red, yellow and white, kalasha-style brass vessels and a parrot-shaped figure surround the altar, with a red-and-yellow painted banner at left.

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A temple puja scene in a shrine decorated with a gold arched frame and teal drapery. A standing black stone deity murti of Meenakshi-style form, wearing a tall crown, jewelled necklaces and a green sash, is framed in the back. In front, a smaller green-and-gold clad deity murti stands on a purple cloth with a parrot beside her. A woman in a black top and purple skirt kneels at left, reaching toward the offerings. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti and sacred thread sits at right beside a brass bell, copper pots of flowers, a silver tray of fruit and scattered rose petals on a hot pink cloth. A man with long hair and beaded necklaces stands at the far left edge. Three people are visible.2024-04-10A temple shrine with a large deity murti of Devi Meenakshi standing in a gold arched niche draped in teal and green cloth, adorned with jewelled necklaces and a crown. In front, a smaller figure of Devi in a green and gold sari sits on a purple pedestal beside a green parrot figure and white and orange flowers. On a pink cloth, a woman in an orange and green sari arranges flowers, and a shirtless man in white dhoti with rudraksha malas sits and performs puja beside fruit platters of bananas, oranges, grapes and apples. Another shirtless man stands at left holding a small bowl. Maroon curtains, a yellow and blue banner and garlands frame the scene.2024-04-10Photograph of a puja at a temple shrine. A woman in a dark teal and green patterned sari stands at left, facing the altar. A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti sits cross-legged on a bright pink cloth at right, holding a paper and offering. Before the altar sit brass bells, a lamp, a silver tray, and trays of bananas, oranges and apples, with flower garlands and marigolds on the cloth. The central deity murti, a dark-faced goddess with a crown, rich necklaces and a green and orange sari, stands in a gilded arched niche draped with blue fabric. A smaller brightly dressed deity figure in red and green sits before it with a parrot figure beside it. Two people are visible physically: the woman and the priest, with a partially visible third person at far right edge.2024-04-10A puja takes place before a shrine with dark murti deities in a temple room with maroon curtains and ornate gold arches. In the foreground a woman in a gold sari and green blouse bends forward offering flowers or kumkum, and another woman in a green sari stands at left. Beside a pink cloth, a seated man in white dhoti and bare chest with a rudraksha mala looks toward the altar, and a fruit tray with bananas, oranges and apples sits on the cloth. Brass lamps, flower arrangements and a deity murti dressed in green cloth and jewelled garlands stand on a blue-draped platform. Three people are visible, plus a standing figure at the far left edge.2024-04-10A puja in a temple shrine with a gilded arch framing a large dark-stone deity murti of a goddess wearing a tall golden crown, layered jewelled necklaces and holding a staff; in front stands a smaller green-and-gold saree-clad figure on a purple cloth. Pink cloth covers the floor with scattered orange and yellow petals, a brass tray, a plate of fruit and brass pots of flowers. On the right, a bare-chested man in white dhoti with a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged, smiling. On the left, a woman in a teal patterned dress and pink headscarf presses her palms together, and a young man in white sits beside her near a brass lamp and bell. Yellow and red floral garlands hang around the shrine.2024-04-10Indoor temple shrine with a dark granite floor and a magenta cloth spread before a golden arched niche. In the niche stands a large dark stone deity murti in a crown and teal-green garland drapery. In front, a smaller deity figure in a green and red sari is decorated with white jasmine garlands. Brass lamps, a kalasha-style pot, flower arrangements and a silver tray of petals sit on the floor. A bare-chested man in white dhoti lies prostrate on the magenta cloth, while a second man in white dhoti and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged at right, holding a small silver dish. No figure in the scene is clearly identifiable as a person.2024-04-10A temple shrine scene in a dark-walled room with a large gold arched frame behind a black stone murti of a goddess in a green, orange and white sari with a tall crown, adorned with pearl necklaces and garlands. In front, a smaller green-and-gold clad deity murti stands on a purple-cloth platform with white flower garlands and red flowers. Three people sit on a hot pink cloth: a woman in a mustard-yellow blouse and teal sari with curly hair, a man with grey hair in a white dhoti and orange-bordered cloth wearing rudraksha beads, holding a small bowl, and a man in a white dhoti and white upper cloth with glasses, holding an orange and a plate. Brass lamps, a silver tray, marigold and rose petals, and a platter of apples and oranges are arranged on the cloth.2024-04-10A puja at a shrine in KAILASA San Jose. A bare-chested priest with hair tied up, wearing a white dhoti with a saffron edge and rudraksha malas, sits cross-legged at the left holding a small offering vessel. In front of him a devotee lies prostrate on a pink cloth with a green-gold border, scattered with orange and red petals. Centre stage is a standing Devi murti in a green and red sari with a crown, flanked by white and orange flower garlands and a blue draped backdrop. Behind her a dark deity murti in a gold arch wears a crown and a multi-coloured necklace, and brass plates, bowls and lamps sit on the floor.2024-04-10A puja at a temple shrine with a dark-skinned deity murti of Devi Meenakshi in a green and gold sari, holding a parrot, set before a gilded arch and teal drapery. A seated priest bare-chested with rudraksha malas and white dhoti sits at left, watching. At right a shirtless priest in white dhoti with rudraksha mala extends his hand over a silver tray. A woman in a turquoise patterned kurta and pink headscarf kneels at lower left, placing red and orange petals on a pink cloth. Trays of fruit, flowers, brass pots and garlands surround the offering area.2024-04-10A temple puja at an altar with gold-framed arch and deep red curtains. A deity murti of Shiva with black face and tall crown stands at the back, garlanded with pink and white flowers. In front, a silver-adorned goddess murti in a gold and orange sari is garlanded with white, yellow and red blooms. Brass pots of pink roses flank the altar. Below, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a rudraksha mala reads from a paper, while another person in white sits at left beside brass vessels, bananas, fruit and a brass bell, performing the puja.2022-10-01 +3 copiesPhoto 82857232022-11-30 +3 copiesA priest sits cross-legged on a low wooden seat before an altar decorated for Navaratri puja in a temple shrine. He is bare-chested with white ash stripes on his arms and chest, wearing a white dhoti, with a tattoo on his upper back and dark hair tied up at the back of his head. He has his hands folded near his face in worship. Behind him are a standing deity murti adorned with garlands of pink, white and orange flowers, and a seated goddess murti in a rich gold crown and jewelled necklaces, with a pink silk cloth and a vase of roses, copper pots, brass oil lamps and offering plates of flower petals on an orange cloth. Gold-carved arches frame the shrine.2022-10-01 +3 copies