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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.

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Pongal 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.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided hall with a dirt floor. In the foreground, earthen pots (pongal pots) rest on banana leaves, decorated with marigold garlands and set within a white rangoli kolam outlined with yellow flowers. Two men in saffron-orange robes stand at a fire pit, one kneeling and tending the flame while another in orange with bare upper body and rudraksha beads stands nearby. A man on the left wears a red-brown dhoti, garlands and an ornate headwear, with hands folded in prayer. Behind them, several people in red and orange robes stand near drums. An altar holds fruit, flowers, brass lamps and bananas. Orange and yellow flag banners hang from the rafters.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal-style outdoor ritual at a covered open pavilion. In the foreground a white kolam floor design with flower garlands surrounds clay pots, bananas, and a fire area with stacked wood. Monks in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls stand with hands folded in prayer, and one holds a saffron flag with a gold fringe above a brass lamp stand. On the left a man wears a deep red-maroon garment with a flower garland and gold necklaces, and a child in white stands nearby. Garland-covered offerings, plates of fruit and a brass lamp lie on a striped mat. No distinct a person candidate is clearly identifiable by appearance.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.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14Outdoor 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.2018-01-14A 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.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.2018-01-14