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A Pongal ritual inside an open-sided pavilion with bamboo and palm-leaf decorations. Several people in saffron-orange robes stand and kneel around a sand-floored area with clay pots and stone hearths, one with a fire built from stacked bricks ringed with marigold garlands. A woman in a teal sari kneels at lower left stirring from a clay vessel. Along the right, a platter of fruit, bananas and sugarcane sits on a kolam-decorated floor beside brass lamps and flower-covered offerings. A bare-chested man in orange garments and rudraksha-style mala raises a hand near the altar, and a woman in an orange sari stands at the right edge. The atmosphere is of a festival puja.

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A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion. Saffron-robed sannyasis and women in orange saris stand on a red mat around a clay pot sun offering, with a kolam of white rice flour and flower garlands on the ground. A man in a maroon robe and gold-bead necklace, with a red turban and flower garland, stands at left with hands joined. A bare-chested sannyasi with rudraksha beads stands with palms together, while a woman kneels to arrange brass plates, bananas, sugarcane, and offerings on a striped cloth. Clay pots, a brass lamp stand, and a saffron banner with a bird emblem complete the scene. Visible people number about ten.2018-01-14Outdoor pavilion with a red floor cloth, leafy bamboo and mango-leaf decorations, and a mud-plastered ground. A man in a maroon-brown dhoti with a saffron-red turban and a marigold garland stands at left, while saffron-robed attendants and a bare-chested man in orange cloth tend the ritual area. Several clay pots with leaf-wrapped rims sit on flower-strewn mud platforms beside a white kolam design and bananas, fruit and offerings on banana leaves. At right, a decorated altar holds flowers, oil lamps and a row of silver-toned items, with saffron-and-white triangular banners hanging on the posts.2018-01-14Outdoor Pongal-style ritual in a covered courtyard. A large white kolam with floral border sits on the earth, surrounded by yellow and red marigold garlands, clay pots with mango leaves and coconuts, pineapples, bananas and brass plates of offerings. Saffron-robed sannyasis and women in orange and red saris stand and bow with hands folded. A standing man in a red-and-gold turban, gold necklaces and a garland on the left looks on. In the right foreground a saffron-clad man lies prostrate on a striped mat. Brass lamps and a decorated ceremonial umbrella with a kalasha emblem stand at right. Approximately ten people are visible.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A photograph of an outdoor ritual space with a sandy floor and a white kolam design. A central figure in a rust-red dhoti with a maroon-and-gold turban, a gold necklace and a flower garland stands with palms pressed together in namaskar in front of a large flower-covered platform of yellow marigolds and white petals with red offerings. Around him, figures in orange-saffron robes hold trays of flowers and offerings, and a standing man in white dhoti with hands joined watches. Brass lamps, a kalasha pot, bananas, coconut-leaf decorations and a bundle of sugarcane lie on coloured striped cloths. An orange-and-yellow ceremonial banner stands at right. Several devotees in orange and white watch from the left. The setting suggests a puja at a Pongal-season gathering.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion with a dirt floor. A standing man in a reddish-brown dhoti and a red-and-orange turban, with a flower garland and a shawl, stands with palms joined in front of a decorated pot. Women and girls in orange and red saris and salwar kurtas stand nearby, several holding hands together in prayer. Clay pots garlanded with yellow flowers stand on a kolam drawn in white powder, with sugarcane stalks, bananas, plantains and banana-leaf plates of food laid on striped cloths. A brass lamp and a large display of marigolds and offerings are set at the right, and an orange ceremonial banner hangs at the right edge.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14Pongal celebration outdoors under an open pavilion at a temple site. A man in a maroon-brown dhoti and a red-and-white turban stands with palms joined in namaskar, wearing a long white flower garland and heavy gold-toned necklaces. Behind him, a line of devotees in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas stand with hands folded, and a white-clad man and women in colourful saris also join. Two women in orange saris on the right hold offering plates. On the ground, a kolam of white rangoli patterns is outlined in yellow marigold garlands. Clay pots filled with flowers, a pineapple, bananas, a brass lamp, and trays of rose petals and fruit sit on striped mats. Three stacked clay-brick hearths with sugarcane and flower decoration form the Pongal cooking area. Drummers in orange stand behind, and a striped ceremonial umbrella stands at the top. Roughly 25 to 30 people are visible.2018-01-14A Pongal ritual in an open-sided pavilion at an adheenam. On the sandy floor, clay pots with brass lids and yellow marigold garlands sit beside a white kolam rangoli design. A clay stove with a bronze pot is ringed by flowers. A standing man in a maroon dhoti and maroon shawl, wearing a long garland and gold necklaces, holds his hands together. Men in saffron cloth and rudraksha malas stand at the right, one tending brass lamps. Leaves on the left hold banana, fruit and sweets offerings. Women in saffron and white and children stand at the left edge. A saffron flag hangs on the right pillar.2018-01-14Outdoor ritual in a covered open-sided pavilion with a sandy ground. Sannyasis in saffron-orange robes sit on striped mats around a floral kolam drawn in white on the floor, edged with yellow marigold garlands, with brass kalasha pots, pineapples, bananas, and a flower-covered platform with an offering tray. A bare-chested priest in orange cloth with a rudraksha-style headband pours from a vessel at the right. A standing figure at left wears a maroon-brown robe with a tall red turban, long beaded mala and large ceremonial garland, and stands before a crowd of devotees, many in orange, some children with palms together, others in white dhotis and maroon saris. A brass oil lamp and a yellow ceremonial flag stand at right.2018-01-14A Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion with a sandy ground. In the foreground, a clay pot of boiling milk sits on a brick stove fenced by sugarcane stalks tied with leaves and strands, circled by yellow and orange flower garlands and a kolam design. Beside it, a seated person in orange robes with a headband and rudraksha beads tends brass vessels and offerings, and clay pots with pineapples and red flower baskets are set out. Behind, a line of people in saffron and orange robes, white dhotis and a woman in a white sari with a rudraksha necklace stand and watch. About 25 people are visible.2018-01-14