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Night-time outdoor ritual at a temple courtyard under palm trees and a tarpaulin roof. A man in long flowing orange saffron robes and a rudraksha mala walks barefoot across the sand, carrying a small staff, past rows of white-draped rectangular platforms each holding brass lamps, bowls and offerings. Women in white saris stand on both sides, some with folded hands. Behind them a gold and ornate deity murti sits on a decorated altar framed by a red-and-gold arch, with garlands, a kalasha-like brass lamp stand, and a banner with a portrait above. Red and white draped cloth covers the sides, and mango leaf strings hang overhead. Children stand at the left edge.

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December 23 20062006-12-23September 29 20062006-09-29A photograph of an outdoor ritual under a corrugated metal roof, with palm trees and a decorated temple gateway behind. Several small square white brick fire pits with brass vessels and offerings stand on the floor. A woman in the centre wears a saffron-orange sari and a white-and-orange flower garland. Men in white dhotis and white shirts stand around her, with some in orange shawls, and a man in a white kurta with a dark shawl stands at right. Behind them, a large crowd of people in white, orange, pink and blue clothing stands and sits, some with hands folded in prayer. Strings of flowers hang from the temple entrance.2006-12-26Night photograph of an outdoor yajna enclosure lit by fluorescent tube lights strung along bamboo poles, with banana-leaf and coconut-frond garlands and palm fronds hanging overhead and tall decorated pillars at the edges. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts stand around the sandy ground, and one man in white bends low near the white stone fire pits in the lower right. A figure in a saffron-orange cloth stands in the left foreground with bare upper body. A woman in a white sari with a gold border and a dark mala stands in the centre-right. Stone fire pits and a sandy floor indicate a fire-offering ritual setting. Approximately eight to ten people are visible.2006-07-16A photograph of a ritual gathering under a corrugated metal roof supported by steel pillars, with palm trees visible beyond the open sides. In the foreground, a man in a saffron-orange robe with a white flower garland and a rudraksha mala walks forward, his long dark hair swept back. Beside him, a man in white ritual clothes with a lanyard stands on a mat. Several small square brick fire pits are arranged on the floor with brass plates of offerings, flowers and oil lamps nearby. Behind them, a large crowd of devotees, mostly in white dhotis and white saris, sit and stand with hands folded in anjali. Strings of marigold garlands and bunting decorate the structure at left.2006-12-26A photograph of a covered open-sided hall where a ritual is underway amid square brick-built fire pits, with small brass vessels, leaves and offerings on woven mats. In the foreground, a man in white dhoti and shawl with a grey beard walks at left beside a long-haired man in an orange-saffron robe with a white and orange flower garland. Behind them, men in white and orange shawls and a man in a white kurta with a pendant stand near the pits. Along the sides of the hall and in the background, many people in white and cream clothes stand or sit with hands folded in namaskar, and a woman in a blue saree stands near the centre. Coconut palms and a strip of bunting and marigold garlands are visible outside.2006-12-26Night outdoor ritual under a temporary pandal hung with leaf garlands and many decorated umbrellas. At the centre a figure in an orange-red robe holds a lit flame over a raised rectangular fire pit with flowers and offerings, while others in white dhotis with orange shawls stand nearby. Several people stand behind with raised hands, and a small framed deity picture and a brass lamp stand on the right beside flower arrangements and fruit on the ground. A homa-style fire pit ritual under umbrellas.2006-12-22Outdoor ritual yagna under a palm-frond and tarpaulin canopy with palm trees around. A man stands at the right, bare-backed with a saffron-orange cloth draped over his shoulders and a white flower garland, facing a sunken square fire pit lined with mud and grass. Rows of white-painted brick altars or kund-like structures fill the earthen ground, with small offerings on them, and woven mats are laid out. Flags and red-and-pink canopy tents frame the scene. Behind, a large crowd of devotees stands in a semicircle, many in white dhotis and kurtas, some in saffron, with women in saris and salwars at left. Orange-and-red banners are staked in the ground.2006-12-26A photograph of an outdoor homa or yagna under a corrugated tin shelter with palm trees. Several white-brick fire pits are arranged on the ground, with copper or brass plates of offerings and small red-orange cloths beside them. A line of standing devotees in white dhotis and saris watches from the left, behind a rope barrier with saffron flags. A man in a saffron wrap with a white flower garland stands with his back to the camera at center right, facing a group of men in white dhotis and saffron shawls who hold items and attend the ceremony. Red and pink draped cloth forms a tent backdrop at the right.2006-12-26A photograph taken under a corrugated metal roof supported by poles, with two tall decorated pillars hung with coloured cloth and yellow tassels. Several women in white and orange-saffron shawls sit cross-legged on mats in front of small brick fire pits, each with a brass pot or bowl nearby. On the right, a standing figure in a flowing saffron-orange robe, with long dark hair swept back and a rudraksha mala, holds a long staff and faces the seated group. Beside him, a bald older man in white clothes stands with hands folded. Other people in white and orange move among the pillars and trees in the background. Stacked round plates sit on a teal cloth at lower right. The scene is outdoors with dry grass and trees beyond.2008-11-11December 30 20062006-12-30Outdoor ritual gathering on bare earth under palm trees. A figure with long dark hair, wearing an orange-saffron robe and a beaded rudraksha-style necklace, sits cross-legged on a white-draped seat in the centre. Clothing is cloth and robe, not ornate crown or turban, so the identity is uncertain. A man in an orange-saffron robe stands at right holding a tall orange flag on a pole. Ranks of people in white dhotis and white garments sit on rows of white-draped mats and white brick-like blocks arranged in lines. On the left, a decorated pink-and-gold canopy with garlands of marigold and white flowers covers a raised altar with brass pots, kalasha-style vessels and offerings. Brass lamps and a brass tray with oil lamps lie on a green cloth at lower right. Pink umbrellas and red-and-white draped canopies line the background.2006-07-11