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A photograph of a cattle puja at an outdoor shed. In the centre, a bearded man with a white-marked forehead and hair tied up wears an orange cloth wrap and a pendant necklace, bending over a large brown cow with curved horns. He holds an oil lamp with a visible flame beside the animal's head. At left, a figure in an orange garment with white markings on the shoulder and a beaded necklace reaches toward the cow, and a person in pink stands behind. Other cattle are visible in the background.

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A photograph of a Gau puja ritual with cattle. In the foreground a woman in an orange saree with a bare back and rudraksha bracelets holds a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward a dark brown cow with a green-painted horn. Behind her, a bearded man in an orange cloth with white tilak marks on his forehead and shoulders stands beside a second cow. Another man in orange with white markings on his arm and a rudraksha mala stands at the right, attending the cattle. Warm sunlight falls on the scene. Three to four physically visible people are present along with the cattle.2019-01-16Outdoor scene of a devotee in orange sari with bare back and white sacred markings on shoulder, wearing rudraksha malas and bracelets, holding a small oil lamp toward the face of a brown cow with a yellow-tipped horn and bell-decorated collar. Other orange-clad devotees stand behind, and a white-and-brown calf is in the lower right.2019-01-16Outdoor photo of a gau puja at a cattle shelter with brown and white cows and calves in dusty ground behind rubble and a rocky hillside. A devotee in orange dhoti and orange wrap, with rudraksha malas and a vibhuti tilak, holds a lit flame to a brown cow's face while a second orange-clad man with a bare upper body stands at the left, holding the cow's halter. A cup-like brass vessel is in the right hand. The cow wears a decorated halter and harness. Another calf is at the far right. Attribution to a person is unsure from appearance alone.2019-01-16A woman seen from behind performs a gau puja beside brown cows. She wears an orange cloth wrapped over her shoulders and a bare back marked with white ash stripes, with rudraksha malas and beaded necklaces around her neck and wrists. She holds a brass lamp with a bright flame toward the muzzle of a brown cow with curved horns and a decorated harness with bells. Another cow stands nearby in soft-focus, with a bright blurred background. The scene reflects animal worship during Mattu Pongal.2019-01-16January 16 20192019-01-16A photograph of a cattle shelter where several brown cows with curved horns and bells on their halters stand close together, a steam or smoke haze rising around the lead cow. On the left, a bearded man in an orange-saffron dhoti and wrap stands beside the cattle holding the rope. Behind him, another person in orange clothing with long hair tied up stands in the background. On the right foreground, a bare-chested person with dark matted hair and an orange shawl, marked with white ash or vibhuti on the body, faces away from the camera. Bright sunlight fills the open-sided shelter.2019-01-16January 15 20182018-01-15 +1 copiesA photograph of a gau puja at an outdoor site. In the foreground, a person wearing an orange saffron garment and a rudraksha mala with bead bracelets holds a silver aarti lamp with a flame and rising smoke toward a cow. Behind them, cows with curved horns and a figure in orange robes stand on dusty ground.2019-01-16January 16 20192019-01-16January 16 20192019-01-16A decorated cow with curved horns tipped in red, garlanded with white and yellow flowers and wearing a rope of golden bead ornaments, faces a man in orange robes who bends toward it and holds a silver handbell in his right hand. He wears a rudraksha mala and a white garland of flowers. Behind him, other people in orange and brown robes stand in white garlands. Red markings are visible on the cow's face and horns. The setting suggests a Mattu Pongal cattle worship rite. The man's appearance is not clearly distinctive enough to confirm identity, and his role is a priest or devotee.2018-01-15 +1 copiesJanuary 15 20182018-01-15