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Night-time temple ritual photograph. A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with a saffron-orange sash and a purple turban holds a lit oil lamp (aarti) in both hands in front of a gilded arched canopy and a deity murti draped with white and silver sequined cloth, a garland and a gold necklace. Behind him a multicoloured fringed canopy hangs overhead. To the left stands a tiered offering stand decorated with yellow marigold garlands, lion figures and a lotus base, with brass vessels, fruits and small lamps placed on a turquoise table. Diyas and a flame glow in the foreground. A man in white clothing stands at the right edge.

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February 22 20162016-02-22February 22 20162016-02-22 +1 copiesFebruary 22 20162016-02-22 +1 copiesFebruary 22 20162016-02-22 +1 copiesFebruary 22 20162016-02-22 +1 copiesFebruary 22 20162016-02-22 +2 copiesFebruary 22 20162016-02-22 +1 copiesNight-time outdoor ritual under a canopy at a temple-style shrine. At left, a priest with bare upper body, white dhoti and a purple head cloth stands at a tiered, flower-decked altar, holding a ritual implement over it. In the centre, a gilded arch frames a deity murti with a crown-like headdress and a red cloth backdrop, while long white garlands hang over it. Front centre, a fire blazes in a raised golden fire pit with a brass vessel beside it, indicating a homa or puja. At right, a seated person in a red-and-maroon garment with red garlands and a dark cap sits in a gold-trimmed chair under a multicoloured umbrella, hands pressed together in prayer. Brass pots and flower petals lie on the ground.2016-02-22 +1 copiesFebruary 22 20162016-02-22 +1 copiesNight temple ritual before a decorated deity murti of Ganesha, its face and chest adorned with garlands of yellow and red flowers and a silver-gilt backdrop. A woman in a white sari with gold border and a red headscarf raises a lit oil lamp toward the deity, while a second deity shrine to the right is also draped in marigold garlands. In the foreground, a bare-headed man in an orange-saffron cloth and a man in maroon with gold border sit with hands folded near brass pots, bowls and ritual vessels on a low table, with small flames burning. Lamps and incense haze fill the dark background.2014-10-11Night ritual at a temple-like outdoor pavilion lit by a flame. A deity murti is adorned with yellow and orange flower garlands and a rudraksha-style necklace, seated on a golden pedestal under an ornate yellow and red canopy with colourful fringe. A standing priest in an orange saffron garment with a blue-and-silver patterned tall cap holds up a lit oil lamp or camphor flame toward the murti in an aarti gesture. A seated attendant in white with a gold garland tends a brass vessel nearby, and an onlooker in a red and white shawl sits at the right edge. Strings of small orange pennants and decorative poles frame the background, with stone sculptures visible behind.2010-11-20Night ritual outdoors under a open-sided shelter with a fire pit in the foreground, its flames rising from a tiered gold-edged square altar strewn with marigold petals. On the right, a seated man in a dark maroon robe with folded hands sits on an ornate gold throne beneath a colourful canopy, wearing a red-and-white flower garland. Centre, a deity murti is decorated with white silk and garlands and stands on a maroon-draped pedestal under a gold-and-multicolour canopy. A priest in white dhoti and shawl stands with hands folded beside the shrine, and on the left a bare-chested man in a white dhoti holds a large flower-decorated tray with a lit flame. Brass plates and offerings of fruit and flowers sit on a blue-and-pink decorated table behind them, and a fan-holding attendant stands near the back.2016-02-22 +1 copies