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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.

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A 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 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 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 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.A shirtless male priest in a white dhoti with a gold border performs puja before a gilded golden shrine. He holds a small offering at the Nataraja bronze murti of Shiva dancing within a flame arch, surrounded by a carved gold filigree backdrop and dark green velvet. Smaller golden figures stand on either side, and a gold stepped altar in front holds scattered rose petals. A brass bell, a brass bowl and a small puja vessel sit on the table, and garlands of white jasmine and pink and orange flowers hang at the sides. Ash markings are visible on the priest's arms and forehead, and a rudraksha mala rests on his chest.2024-02-21A 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 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.A 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 shirtless man in a white dhoti and white turban stands at a golden altar performing abhishekam to a Nataraja murti. He wears a rudraksha mala and has white markings on his shoulders and back. His right arm extends toward a bronze-gold Nataraja figure dancing within a flame arch, beside a smaller standing deity figure and a figure in a dark garment with a tiered base. Brass bowls with flower petals, a yellow fruit piece, a small brass cup and a lit oil lamp sit on the altar table. Red velvet hangs behind the altar against a gold-tiled wall.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 shaved-headed priest with a red tilak on his forehead and a rudraksha mala draped over his bare chest pours liquid from a golden vessel over a bronze Nataraja murti. The dancing Shiva figure stands within a golden arch of flames on a lotus-like base, flanked by two smaller bronze figures, a standing devotee-like figure on the left and a figure holding a staff on the right. A gold sri yantra-style pyramid platform sits in front, with marigold and white flower garlands hanging on green velvet behind. Dishes of offerings and a small brass cup rest on the altar table. The priest wears a white dhoti with a gold border and white sacred ash markings on his arms.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.2024-02-21