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A bare-chested man with a shaved head sits cross-legged on a striped rug during a puja. He wears a white dhoti with a green-and-gold sash, a rudraksha mala and ceremonial gold pendant, and white vertical tilak markings with a red bindi on his forehead. He holds a lit oil lamp in one hand and a brass bell in the other. In front of him are a brass pedestal bearing flower petals, a small gold deity murti, brass kalasha pots, coconut halves with rice, red petals, brass bowls of offerings, and a brass kettle on a wooden tray. A gold-trimmed red-cushioned seat stands at the left edge.

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May 02 20172017-05-02Photo 11717747 +2 copiesPhoto 82843642022-07-04 +3 copiesPhoto 11709797November 07 20142014-11-07Inside a temple shrine, a standing priest with long dark hair in a bun, a beard, a red-brown rudraksha mala and a bare chest, wearing a white dhoti with gold borders, raises a lit oil lamp or aarti flame toward a small golden-and-purple deity murti decorated with flowers. Behind him, marigold and orange garlands drape the shrine's backdrop. A second man in a white dhoti sits cross-legged on the floor at left, tending brass items on a tray. Ritual puja setting.2019-02-17April 11 20182018-04-11 +1 copiesMay 02 20172017-05-02A seated priest in white dhoti with bare chest, wearing a long rudraksha mala and forehead tilak, performs a puja with a brass bell and small ritual implement beside a silver lamp with a lit flame and flower offerings. A large brass thali with offerings and a small brass lamp sit on a low wooden stand on a patterned rug. Several women in colourful saris, including purple and green, sit behind him on the floor, some holding small brass vessels, in a hall with a gray floor and yellow line marking.2019-10-26A photograph of a bare-chested priest performing a fire ritual at night. He sits behind a copper vessel with a bright flame, holding incense sticks upright in one hand and a small bundle in the other. He wears a yellow-bordered white dhoti draped over his shoulder, a red beaded mala, a crystal bead mala and a heavy gold necklace with bell-shaped pendants, plus a yellow tilak and red bindi. Behind him, other ritual setups with yellow and orange flowers, oil lamps and fruit offerings are visible, along with partially seen figures in white. The setting appears to be a homa or puja gathering.2017-05-02A seated priest with a shaved head and bare upper body wears a white dhoti and a rudraksha mala, his hands pressed together in front of an ornate brass puja stand. The brass bowl on top holds pink flowers, a small brass vessel and a kalasha-like container. A silver thali in front holds rice, lentil dishes, vegetable curries and bowls of food, a naivedyam offering. A brass dish with a pink flower, a brass cup and a wooden box sit on a leopard-print cloth. A flat-screen television and glass cabinets with small framed photographs stand behind. The scene shows a home shrine puja with food offering.2022-02-18A bare-chested man in white dhoti with orange-and-white sash sits cross-legged behind a long table set for puja, pouring liquid from a small vessel. Eyeglasses and a rudraksha-style necklace are visible. Before him are silver and brass trays with grapes, bananas, pink flowers, coconut-shaped offerings, and a ornate gold-and-orange festival mask or deity image on a yellow cloth. A copper kalasha and brass lamps stand on the table, and a colourful deity shrine with green and gold decoration sits at the upper right against a yellow wall with green bunting.2021-08-20