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A young priest in an orange dhoti with a gold border and an orange shawl stands with his back to the camera, holding a brass tray with a lit oil lamp and a small brass cup, making an offering before a large black stone deity murti. The standing murti wears a tall silver crown, layered jewelled necklaces, and a white flower garland, with a green and magenta silk cloth behind it inside an ornate gold-framed arch. A smaller gold-crowned metal figure in a purple cloth stands in front on a yellow brocade cloth, with a brass bowl, a conch shell and a tall brass oil lamp (deepam) nearby. The priest wears a rudraksha mala and white sacred ash markings on his arms and back. This appears to be a puja and aarti at a temple shrine.

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A photograph inside a temple shrine showing a priest in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl, with white ash markings on his arms and chest and a rudraksha mala around his neck, holding a brass lamp with a lit flame and standing before a large black stone deity murti of Vishnu with four arms, a white urdhva pundra on the forehead, a crown and jeweled garlands, dressed in a pink and gold garment. A smaller brass figure in blue cloth and red-bead necklace stands at the base, with a brass bell, conch shell, brass lamp stand, and a small bowl of offerings beside it. The golden arched frame and green backdrop surround the altar.2024-04-07A photograph of a temple shrine with a black stone deity murti standing in a golden arched niche, adorned with a silver crown, jewelled necklaces, a pink silk garment and a silver waist ornament, framed by yellow and orange marigold garlands. In the foreground a young priest with a shaved-looking head and bare back wears an orange dhoti and shawl and holds a brass plate with a lit oil lamp, performing aarti. Brass pots, a brass bowl with offerings and scattered pink petals sit at the base of the shrine.2024-06-29A photograph inside a temple shrine showing a young male priest seen from behind, bare-backed, wearing an orange dhoti with gold-bordered edges and an orange shawl over the shoulder, with white tilak markings on his arm, holding a lit oil lamp toward a black stone deity murti of a standing four-armed Vishnu form. The deity wears a tall jewelled crown, a white and gold tilak, layered gold and jewelled necklaces, a red garment, and is decorated with white jasmine garlands and green leaves. Before the deity sits a small brass kalasha and a conch shell on a red cloth, with a tall brass lamp stand at right and an ornate gold arch framing the shrine. A timestamp reading Jul 10, 2024 4:24:51 AM appears in the lower right corner.2024-09-07A young priest in an orange dhoti and orange shoulder cloth, with a rudraksha-style mala and white ash marks on his arms, stands at left holding a brass tray with small brass cups and a spoon as an offering. Before him stands a black stone deity murti of a four-armed form with a tall jeweled crown, a white urdhva tilaka on the forehead, a pink silk garment, and layered gold and green-stone necklaces, set within a gilded arched niche with a lime-green backdrop. A small brass utsava murti in a blue cloth sits at the base beside brass oil lamps, a brass bell and a conch, with a brass bowl of offering in front.2024-03-07A temple priest seen from behind, wearing an orange-red dhoti with a sacred thread and a rudraksha mala at the neck, with white sacred ash markings on the back, offers a plate with a small brass lamp and offerings to a black stone deity murti. The murti wears a silver crown, a tilak, a silver and jewelled necklace, a green-and-gold-lined garland, and a red and gold silk dhoti with a purple border. A smaller bronze deity figure stands in front on a yellow cloth. A brass bell, conch shell, bowl of offerings and a standing brass oil lamp sit on the altar, set against an ornate gold arched frame. The timestamp reads Jun 27, 2024 11:52:31 AM.2024-06-27A photograph of a temple ritual in which a priest with a bare back and white markings on the skin, wearing an orange cloth wrapped around the lower body, holds a brass lamp with a lit flame toward a black stone murti of Vishnu standing in a gold arched niche. The murti wears a silver crown, a white vertical tilak on the forehead, layered gold and jewelled necklaces, a long green and teal bead garland, a red and gold brocade dhoti and a purple-edged cloth draped over the shoulder. Two small gold figures stand at its base, and a brass lamp stands at the right. The scene is an aarti offering in a temple sanctum, with a timestamp reading Jun 28, 2024 11:46:14 AM at the bottom.2024-06-28A photograph inside a temple shrine. In the foreground, a young boy with short dark hair and bare upper body, wearing an orange cloth wrap, faces away from the camera while holding a lit oil lamp (deepam) toward a large black stone deity murti with a trident (trishula) in one hand, a purple turban, a red and gold garment, and a garland of white and red flowers. The murti stands before a gold arched backdrop. Tall brass lamp stands with multiple oil lamps flank the scene, along with red and yellow canopy umbrellas with white bird emblems and a golden figure of a female devotee at the right edge. A maroon curtain hangs behind. Lit lamp and aarti ritual in progress.2024-09-11A photo inside a temple shrine where a young priest with short dark hair, bare-backed and wearing an orange dhoti with an orange upper cloth, holds a silver tray with a lit oil lamp toward a dark stone statue of a deity. The statue wears a blue turban with a gold crest, a gold-embroidered blue and white garment and layered gold necklaces, and its raised hand shows a star-like mudra. Tall gold lamp stands with multiple cups flank the shrine, and a red and gold arch frames the figure. White sacred ash marks the priest's shoulder and arm. The scene shows an aarti offering in progress. The timestamp reads 02/03/2025 19:48.2025-02-03A photograph of a temple shrine with a black stone deity murti dressed in white jasmine garlands, pink and green flower garlands, a gold and silver crown, pearl and gem necklaces and a gold-embroidered cloth. A young man with bare upper body and orange-saffron cloth draped over his shoulder and wrapped at the waist stands at left, holding a silver plate with a lit oil lamp toward the deity, as part of a Naivedyam or aarti offering. Brass oil lamps stand on a dark pedestal below, and the gold arched prabhavali frame with carved designs surrounds the murti against dark granite walls.2024-06-29A photograph inside a shrine showing a shirtless young priest in an orange dhoti and orange upper cloth pouring water from a golden vessel over a black stone deity murti. The murti has multiple arms and a tall crown, and stands within an ornate gold-leaf arch with carved foliage and a gold ceiling. A small bronze standing deity figure stands in front of the black murti. The scene appears to be an abhishekam ritual bathing the deity.2024-10-26A photograph inside a shrine where a bare-chested young priest in orange-red dhoti and shawl, with white sacred markings on his upper body, stands with his back to the camera holding a lit oil lamp toward a large black statue. The statue wears a red turban with a gold ornament, layered gold and rudraksha necklaces, and a red draped cloth. It sits within an ornate gold arch, flanked by tall brass lamp stands and red-and-gold canopy banners with floral and bird motifs, and a brass figure stands at the lower right. The scene is a deity murti puja with an aarti lamp offering.2024-11-28A photograph inside a temple shrine showing a person from behind in saffron-orange cloth, bare-shouldered, with dark hair and white marks on the arm, holding a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward a large dark-faced deity murti in a red and gold garment, garlanded with white and orange flowers, wearing a purple and gold crown and a tall ornate headdress. Tall brass multi-tier oil lamp stands flank the shrine, two red and gold canopies with white bird emblems stand on either side, and gilded figures and a white placard are at the edges. The scene suggests aarti performed before the murti.2024-08-11