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Photograph of a temple shrine with a gold-leaf wall and orange-draped niches holding black stone deity murtis adorned with garlands and silver crowns. A bare-chested priest with a cream turban and white dhoti with gold border stands at left, waving a flame in front of the central deity figure that holds a trident. A brass oil lamp burns on the floor and brass vessels sit before the murtis. Count: one physical person. Timestamp overlay reads Feb. 3, 2025, Salem, Tamil Nadu.

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A shaven-headed priest with a bare upper body, white dhoti with gold border and a sacred thread, stands barefoot at left, holding a lit oil lamp toward a dark stone deity murti with multiple arms in a gilded shrine with an orange cloth backdrop. Two dark attendant figures in yellow-gold cloth flank the central image, and smaller brass figures with red garments and flower offerings sit on a tray at the base. A date stamp reads May 2, 2025 8:37:09 a.m. Salem Tamil Nadu. The scene shows a puja or aarti at a temple shrine.2025-09-05A photograph inside a temple shrine of a priest seen from behind, bare-chested with a white dhoti bordered in gold, a white and gold head cloth, a rudraksha mala, and white sacred ash markings on his upper arm. He holds a lit oil lamp toward a dark stone deity murti with multiple arms, flanked by two dark stone figures in yellow robes against a gold wall and orange drape. Small brass and wooden figures sit on a wooden stand below, and the shrine is framed by ornate gold arches. A timestamp reads Sep. 9, 2024 12:58:21 p.m., Salem, Tamil Nadu.2024-09-09A photograph inside a temple shrine with a gold-painted wall and a corrugated metal roof. A priest stands at left, bare-chested, wearing a white dhoti with gold border and a white head cloth, holding a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward the shrine. Three shrine niches with gold arches hold dark deity murtis garlanded with flowers; the central one wears a green cloth and flower garland. At right, a seated deity figure with a trident and flower garlands sits on a raised platform beside a trident (trishul). Brass oil lamps, plates, kalasha-like vessels and offerings are arranged on the steps in front. A timestamp reads Jul. 21, 2024 6:26:56 p.m. Salem, Tamil Nadu.2024-07-21A photograph inside a gilded temple shrine showing a bare-chested priest with white and gold headcloth, rudraksha mala and white ash markings on his arm and shoulder, wearing a white dhoti with gold border. He holds a small lamp toward three dark deity murtis on a gold-framed orange backdrop; the central multi-armed murti stands on a black base with a mount beside it, flanked by two figures in yellow garments. Three small brass and red-clad figurines sit on a wooden stand in front, with yellow flower petals scattered on the floor and a painted kolam pattern. A timestamp reads Sep. 9, 2024 12:53:08 p.m., Salem, Tamil Nadu.2024-09-09A photograph inside a temple shrine. A bare-chested older priest in a white dhoti and a sacred thread stands at left, holding a small oil lamp over a set of brass vessels and a bell-like object. Before him on a wooden platform are small bronze figures, a brass pyramid-shaped stand decorated with marigolds, and an orange-robed figure. Behind them, a golden arched niche holds three dark-faced deity murtis: a central figure in white with a crown and a green umbrella overhead, flanked by two figures in blue and pink dresses. White sacred ash marks are visible on the priest's shoulder, and marigolds and brass lamps surround the altar.2026-01-05A bare-chested priest with grey hair and a white dhoti lights an oil lamp before a shrine of three dark stone deity murtis dressed in gold-yellow cloth against an orange backdrop within a gold-leaf arch. The central figure has multiple arms and a crown; the flanking figures wear tall crowns and gold drapes. Yellow and red kolam designs decorate the floor, and small brass figures with red cloth sit on a wooden tray in front. A timestamp overlay reads Jan. 19, 2025, Salem, Tamil Nadu. One priest is visible.2025-01-19Photograph inside a temple shrine. A shaved-headed older priest, bare-chested with a white dhoti and a sacred thread, lights an oil lamp with a bell in his other hand. Before him on a low wooden table stand small copper figures, a golden pyramid-shaped sri yantra, and brass pots with flowers. Behind them, dark-skinned deity murtis in blue, pink and white garments, adorned with jewellery and garlands, stand in gold-framed niches beneath a green umbrella. A timestamp reads 05-Jan-2026 6:54:04 am, Salem, KAILASA SALEM.2026-01-05A shirtless elderly priest with grey hair and a sacred thread stands at left, wearing a white dhoti, and holds a lit lamp or flame toward the head of a dark stone deity murti in a shrine niche. The central murti is a multi-armed form with a crown, flanked by two seated dark figures. Above them hangs a green canopy with mirror-work edging, and the walls are gold-coloured with an orange cloth backdrop. A brass vessel sits on a patterned floor design, and a timestamp reads 22-Feb-2026 5:44:45 pm, Salem, KAILASA Salem. Ritual is shown as a puja/aarti performed before the murti.2026-02-22Interior of a temple shrine with a corrugated metal roof and gold-painted walls. A lone priest with a shaved head and bare upper body, wearing a white dhoti with gold border and a white turban, stands at left holding a lit lamp aloft toward the altars. Along the shrine are black stone deity murtis, including a seated Shiva-form figure with a trident and a black Nandi bull with a pink cloth, a green-clad standing murti garlanded with flowers, and a seated white figure with a trident and garlands on a throne-like seat. Brass lamps, candles, plates of offerings and a kalasha stand on the stepped platform. A timestamp reads Jul. 21, 2024 6:27:03 p.m., Salem, Tamil Nadu.2024-07-21A photograph inside a temple shrine. A bare-chested man with a white-and-gold shawl draped over his shoulder and a white dhoti with gold border stands at left, reaching toward a dark stone deity murti with multiple arms, which is dressed in a yellow cloth and set before an orange backdrop under a gold arch. Two similar dark stone figures in yellow garments stand on either side. Small brass figures sit on a low gold stand in front, decorated with pink flowers, and the floor shows painted yellow, red and white kolam designs. A timestamp in the corner reads Jul. 11, 2024 9:34:54 a.m. Salem Tamil Nadu.2024-10-07A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with gold border and a white-and-gold head cloth stands bent forward, holding a small lit lamp or flame near a golden-framed shrine. Inside the arch sits a dark deity murti with multiple arms, partly smeared with yellow turmeric, flanked by a brass-gold kalasha-like shivalinga and small metal figures on a gold plate. Behind, a second shrine has orange drapery and a deity dressed in a pink sari-like garment with gold necklaces and a crown. The walls are gilded and the floor is polished with a yellow kolam design; a digital timestamp overlay reads Jul. 12, 2024 Salem, Tamil Nadu.2024-11-07A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti and a rudraksha mala stands at left, ringing a handbell with his right hand while his left hand moves over a small brass lamp on a wooden tray. On the tray sit a gilt pyramid-shaped stand, a small standing bronze figure and a saffron-robed figure, both garlanded with orange flowers, with brass kalasha pots beside them. Behind them, black stone deity murtis in ornate blue and pink silk dresses and crowns stand in gilded arched niches, one under a green umbrella and another under an orange umbrella. A pink cloth and garland hang on a golden backdrop. A timestamp reads 05-Jan-2026 6:48:40 am, Salem, with the caption KAILASA SALEM.2026-01-05