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A young man in a white turban with gold-and-white stripes, bare-chested and wearing a white dhoti, stands at a shrine holding a lit oil lamp near a golden bronze statue of Nataraja, the dancing Shiva, within a circular flame arch. Strands of rudraksha beads hang across his chest, and white ash markings are visible on his arms and torso. Beside the Nataraja statue stand smaller golden figures, including a child-sized devotee figure holding an object and a female deity figure, with a golden shrine base decorated with red flowers. Behind them a red velvet niche is framed by ornate gold arch carvings against a tan brick wall.

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A shirtless priest in a white dhoti with gold border and a white turban stands at a gold-and-red shrine, pouring liquid from a small vessel over a metal kalasha-like stand. Behind him a large gilded arched frame surrounds a bronze Nataraja murti of Shiva dancing within a flaming ring of fire. Beside the bronze figures stand a dark bronze standing deity in a plain garment and a small brass bell in the priest's left hand. Rudraksha mala beads hang around his neck and white ash marks decorate his arms and shoulders. Pink flower petals lie on the golden platform, indicating an abhishekam ritual in progress.A shirtless male priest in a white dhoti with a gold border stands at left, holding a lit oil lamp with flame in his right hand and a brass handbell in his left, while smiling. Rudraksha malas hang across his chest and wrist, and white sacred ash marks his shoulders and forehead. Before him on a glass-topped table stands a golden Nataraja murti dancing within a flaming arch, flanked by a golden standing male figure and a golden female figure, with a golden pedestal and scattered flower petals. Garlands of pink, yellow and white flowers drape the dark green velvet backdrop behind the golden ornate carved panels. Offerings in brass bowls, including rice and fruit, sit at the lower left. This is a temple puja scene with aarti being performed before the deity murti.2024-02-21A photograph of a temple shrine where a shirtless man in a white dhoti with a gold border and rudraksha malas performs aarti with a lit camphor flame before a golden bronze statue of Nataraja, Shiva as the cosmic dancer, standing within a flame-ringed arch. Smaller golden statues of a standing male deity and a female deity flank the shrine, with a golden tiered yantra-like base, a brass bell, a bowl of flower petals and scattered rose petals on a glass-topped table. Green velvet backdrop and pink and orange flower garlands decorate the shrine, and the priest has white sacred ash marks on his face and shoulders.2024-02-21A photograph of a Nataraja shrine during an abhishekam. A bare-chested priest in a white turban and white dhoti, with white ash markings on his arms and chest and a rudraksha mala around his neck, holds a brass bowl of red petals in one hand and offers a flame or item toward the figures. Behind him stands a large gold Nataraja murti of Shiva dancing within a flaming arch, set against a red velvet backdrop. Two smaller gold figures stand in front, a male figure with a raised hand and a female figure with a crown, beside a gold stepped kalasha-like base decorated with red petals.A photograph of a shaved-headed? No, a man with a white turban wrapped with gold-bordered cloth, bare-chested with white ash markings on his arms and shoulders, wearing a white dhoti with a gold border and a rudraksha mala around his neck. He stands at left with palms pressed together in anjali, facing a gilded shrine. Behind him a large gold-framed red velvet niche holds a bronze Nataraja deity murti dancing within a flame arch, with a smaller bronze figure at its left and a figure in a magenta sari at its right on a gold pedestal. Gold pillars with lantern-like finials flank the shrine, and yellow flower offerings and small brass bowls sit at lower left.A priest with a shaved head, wearing a white and gold-bordered turban and a white dhoti, bare-chested with white ash markings on his shoulders and back, and a rudraksha mala around his neck, applies a white substance to a gilded bronze statue of Nataraja, the Lord of the Cosmic Dance, who dances within a golden flame arch in front of a red velvet backdrop. Smaller gilded figures stand at the base: a standing male figure in a short loincloth and a female figure in a dark patterned sari holding a lotus, with a small stepped pedestal and a red-and-white offering nearby. The walls are pale yellow cinder block. The scene suggests a Nataraja abhishekam in progress.A photo of a Nataraja abhishekam in progress. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti and white-and-gold turban, wearing a rudraksha mala, pours white liquid from a bowl over a golden Nataraja murti dancing within a circular flame arch set against a red velvet backdrop. Beside it stand a small golden figure of a sage with folded hands and a bronze figure in a purple dress. A small golden shrine model sits at the base, with pink flowers nearby. Gold ornate pillars frame the altar against a tan brick wall.A shirtless priest in a white dhoti with a gold border stands at a golden shrine, holding a lit oil lamp in his right hand and wearing a long rudraksha mala and bead armlet. A golden Nataraja murti dances within a flame arch, flanked by garlands of marigolds and pink flowers on green drapery. In front are a golden Shiva-linga-style peetha, a golden standing deity murti and a golden female deity murti, with rose petals and steel bowls of rice and offerings on the tray. The priest appears to be performing aarti or puja.2024-02-21A photograph of a temple ritual centred on a Nataraja shrine. A shaven-headed priest in a white turban, bare-chested with a white dhoti and tilak marks on his arms and shoulders, wears a rudraksha mala and pours water from a brass vessel over a bronze Nataraja image in the Ananda Tandava dancing pose. Beside it a small bronze devotee figure stands and a second bronze figure is being bathed. Brass bowls with flower petals sit on a side table. Behind is a gold prabhavali arch against a red backdrop and gold-painted walls.A priest in a bare-chested state with a white dhoti worn with a gold-bordered end stands before a large golden Nataraja murti of Shiva in dancing pose, set within an ornate golden arch and a deep red curtain. The priest, with short black hair, holds a small bell in his right hand and applies or offers something with his left hand near the deity's face. He wears a long rudraksha mala and a pendant. The golden Nataraja holds a drum in one upper hand and a flame-like gesture in another, with a cobra coiled along its arm and its raised foot adorned with bells. The setting suggests an abhishekam or puja performed before the deity.2021-09-19A man performing an abhishekam at a shrine. He wears a white turban and a white dhoti, is bare-chested, and has white sacred markings on his shoulders and upper arms; a rudraksha mala hangs around his neck. He pours liquid from a small vessel over a golden shivalingam-style yantra base in front of a gilded statue of Nataraja, the dancing Shiva, within an arched prabhavali. Beside the lingam stand a small golden murti of a standing figure and a golden figure in a maroon garment. The background is a gold-painted wall and a red cloth.A photograph of a priest performing Nataraja abhishekam on a golden statue of Nataraja, the dancing Shiva, within a gold-framed shrine set against a red velvet backdrop. The priest, shown from behind and partly bare-chested, wears a white turban with gold trim, a white dhoti, and a rudraksha mala, and pours white milk from a silver bowl over the dancing figure. Milk runs down the deity and onto the base. Smaller golden figures stand beside the statue, including a child-like figure at the base and a female figure in a purple sari on the right. White ritual markings appear on the priest's arms and back. The shrine is flanked by golden pillars against a gold-tiled wall.