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Outdoor ground-breaking ritual under a canopy of mango leaves and colourful fringed cloth. A bare-chested man in an orange turban and orange cloth sits cross-legged with hands folded in prayer, wearing a white flower garland and a rudraksha mala; his distinctive orange head covering and garlands are visible, but his face is turned down and partly obscured, so the appearance is uncertain. Around him, white-clad devotees and others in orange sit or stand with palms pressed together. In front of him are brass plates of flowers, fruit and offerings, and small oil lamps with flames. To the left, a pit in the earth lined with bricks and a small mound with a decorated floor design mark the site. Smoke drifts across the scene.