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A photograph of a temple shrine during a ritual. Central figure with long, voluminous dark hair piled high, wearing a red-and-gold garment, gold necklaces, and a garland of green leaves over yellow and white flowers, smiling while standing before a deity murti. Two men in saffron-orange dhotis with white forehead markings and bare chests assist, one sprinkling white powder. A man on the left wears a white dhoti and rudraksha mala, and a bare-chested man at left holds a white cloth. Behind them stands a dark deity murti with gold hands and crown, decorated with yellow, white and red garlands, and a second garlanded figure stands at right. Rows of marigold and multicoloured flower garlands frame the shrine. Visible are the lower heads of a few devotees in the foreground.

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A photograph of a temple ritual with a central figure seated on the floor, smiling, wearing a large black upswept turban-like hairstyle with green leaves tucked in, a red and yellow marigold garland, gold ornaments and a rudraksha mala, with a red-brown garment and white ash marks on the arms. Around him, several men in saffron and orange robes with white forehead and body markings assist, one holding a large round metal plate and another pouring or tending at a stone stand. Behind them, a golden deity murti of a seated figure and tall garlands in yellow, red and purple decorate the shrine. The setting suggests an abhishekam with ash and offerings. Probable Swamiji appearance: the central figure has a swept-up black crown-like hairstyle, ornate gold necklace and rudraksha mala, matching the page's Swamiji reference.2016-03-07A photograph inside a temple shrine during a Mahashivaratri ritual. At centre, a man with a tall black turban-style hair wrap, a red-and-gold garment, a long gold necklace and a yellow-and-red marigold garland kneels beside a dark stone platform dusted with white powder, smiling, his hands and forearms white with powder. Behind him a man in an orange garment with white-marked arms kneels and tends the platform. Large golden deity murtis with crowns and red-draped figures stand in a niche framed by tall garlands of yellow, red and purple flowers. A man on the left wears a white forehead mark and rudraksha mala, and devotees with white tilaks are visible at the lower edges. Offerings of flowers and fruit lie on the floor.2016-03-07March 07 20162016-03-07March 07 20162016-03-07Photograph of a Mahashivaratri ritual at a temple shrine with flower garlands. A central figure with long dark hair, a green leaf in the hair, a gold chain and a red and yellow flower garland sits smiling, arms extended toward a dark stone lingam-style basin, while others around him kneel. Behind, a tall deity murti in gold and a golden crowned figure are draped in marigold and multicoloured garlands. Around him are devotees in orange and red shawls, one with white vibhuti on the forehead, and a standing man in an orange dhoti and rudraksha mala who pours or tends the basin. Several people are seated in the foreground, and a metal pot stands at left.2016-03-07March 07 20162016-03-07Photograph of a ritual abhishekam in a temple shrine. A central figure with a tall black-and-white turban, a pink flower garland, gold necklaces and a red-and-white robe sits smiling on the floor. Several attendants in orange and saffron garments, some with white ash smeared on their bodies, are working around a stone bowl and offerings. Behind them stand large deity murtis with gold crowns and jewellery, draped in colourful marigold and red-and-white flower garlands. A tall metal vessel and a wooden platter of petals sit in the foreground.2016-03-07A photograph of a ceremonial abhishekam scene in a temple shrine decorated with marigold and multicoloured garlands. In the centre, a smiling man with a large dark swept-back hair bun and pink flower garland sits with ornate gold necklaces and a rudraksha-style mala over a red garment. Behind him, orange-robed attendants with white-painted foreheads and arms pour and tend offerings, and a large deity murti with a crown stands within the garlanded arch. A woman in red stands at the right and a few devotees' heads are visible in the foreground.2016-03-07A photograph of a ritual at a temple-like interior. Center, a smiling figure with a tall swept-back black turban-style hairstyle and white ash markings wears a red-brown garment, a gold necklace and a long garland of yellow and red flowers, seated before a dark stone platform. Behind, two men in saffron-orange dhotis and bare upper bodies perform abhishekam, one pouring from a vessel while another attends. Decorated deity murti with gold ornaments and floral garlands stand behind. Several devotees with white paste on their faces and hands crowd the foreground. Swamiji (probable) is identified by the swept-back hair, ceremonial gold necklace and garland of this central figure, who is the recipient of the rite.2016-03-07A photograph of a Pratyakshya Pada Puja ritual at a temple setting. A central seated figure with a tall, tightly wound black head-crown, wearing a gold necklace, rudraksha mala, a red-orange garment and a large yellow-and-red marigold garland, has white ash on the arms and is bent forward over a wet stone floor with flower offerings and bananas. Behind him, a standing priest in orange ritual cloth with white markings holds a silver lamp and bell. Behind them, deity murti are draped with multicolored marigold garlands. Seated devotees in striped and plain shirts with white ash marks sit in the foreground.2016-03-07A photograph inside a shrine during a ritual abhishekam. A central figure with long, swept-back dark hair, orange clothing, a rudraksha-style red beaded mala, a gold necklace and a green leaf-and-flower garland kneels on a raised platform, with white paste on the hands and forehead. Attendants in orange and white robes with white forehead marks assist around them. Behind is a deity murti of a seated figure with a trident beside a goddess in a red sari, decorated with yellow and multicoloured floral garlands. Several devotees sit in the foreground, including a small child in white. A bell hangs at the left edge.2016-03-07A photograph inside a temple shrine during a Pratyakshya Pada Puja. At the centre, a person with a tall, dark, swept-up hairstyle, a white forehead marking, a rudraksha mala, a gold pendant necklace and a yellow-and-red flower garland sits smiling on the floor in front of the altar. Behind them, a large deity murti of Shiva with a trident and a consort figure sits on a red-draped platform, framed by arches of marigold and multicoloured flower garlands. Two standing figures flank the altar. A bare-chested priest with white ash on his body and a white headband sits at left beside a bowl, and another person with a dark topknot and white marks sits at lower right. Several people are visible, with a light dusting of white powder on the floor and their clothes. The centre person shows a person cues: a distinctive tall dark hairstyle, rudraksha mala and gold necklace.2016-03-07