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Outdoor ritual at a sandy ground beside tall coconut palms, with a long rectangular pit filled with white ash or flowers as the centre. Along the left, a line of women in white and cream saris with pale blue and orange borders stand with palms pressed together in namaste. On the right, a standing figure in orange robes with a red-and-white garland and a rudraksha-style necklace holds a brass vessel near the pit, flanked by men in white dhotis and shirts and a second figure in orange sari-like robes. Small brass pots and a small deity murti sit on a low platform at the pit's edge. Stacked logs lie at right, and a white canopy and bunting appear in the background, with a crowd of onlookers behind. Outdoor ritual scene; the figure in orange with the garland is a visible candidate but his appearance is uncertain.

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Outdoor fire-ritual scene beneath tall coconut palms. A long rectangular pit of white ash runs through reddish-brown earth, bordered by a raised earthen edge, with a small kalasha-style pot and offerings placed at its head. A man in a saffron/orange robe stands at the centre holding a tall staff, flanked by people in white dhotis and white garments, some wearing saffron shawls. A row of women in white and cream saris with blue and orange borders on the left stand with palms pressed together in anjali. Stacked firewood sits at the right edge. Several onlookers watch from behind a rope barrier and a tent canopy.2008-12-31Outdoors among palm trees, a large rectangular fire pit lined with red earth is filled with white ash and sprinkled with yellow flower petals. Behind a white rope barrier, a crowd of devotees stands with hands pressed together in namaskar, many women in white and pastel saris and men in white dhotis and kurtas. A few figures in saffron or orange robes stand near the pit, and one man in saffron kneels at its edge with ritual items, while a man in white stands beside him. Piles of charred logs lie to the right, and white kolam or rangoli lines mark the ground around the pit.2008-12-31Outdoor ritual beside a long rectangular earthen trench lined with white ash or powder, with a small brass kalasha and a lit offering set at its head. Dozens of devotees stand along both sides in white and cream dhotis, saris and kurtas, many with palms pressed together in namaskar. A man in a saffron-orange robe kneels at the trench's edge with a vessel, while a woman in orange and another in a red and white sari stand near a tall ceremonial staff. Coconut palms and a pile of cut firewood frame the scene under bright daylight.2008-12-31December 31 20082008-12-31December 31 20082008-12-31Outdoor ritual at a rectangular earthen pit filled with white ash or lime, scattered with petals, under tall coconut palms. A figure in orange robes and a long orange-beaded mala stands at the front holding a ceremonial staff, while a second person in orange kneels at the pit's edge tending the rite. A small kalasha-like pot and offerings sit on a low wooden platform. Crowds stand behind a rope line: women in white and cream saris with hands folded in prayer on the left, and men in white dhotis and shirts, some with orange shawls, on the right. A few people wear orange saris. Temporary white tent structures are visible at the upper left.2008-12-31Outdoor photograph of a large crowd gathered in an open field lined with palm trees, on the day of a fire-walking ritual. In the centre, a long rectangular pit of glowing embers and ash lies on bare earth, with devotees standing along both sides behind bamboo railings. Behind them a decorated temple chariot or ratha with red and gold drapes, flower garlands and a tall wooden post stands under the trees. Near the front, a man in white dhoti and shirt stands beside the pit, and a saffron-robed figure with a flower garland stands at the centre near the pit's far end, surrounded by men in white and orange robes, some holding long staffs. Most devotees wear white clothes with orange shawls, and one man at the front-left has a tilak on his forehead.2007-12-30July 12 20062006-07-12Outdoor photo of a fire-walking ritual on bare red earth beside a row of tall palm trees and a white tented structure. A man in a white shirt and dark trousers with a rudraksha-style mala walks barefoot through a long pit of glowing embers, hands pressed together in prayer. Beside him a bare-chested man in white clothing leans forward, arms extended in guidance, and a drummer at right plays a barrel drum. A large crowd of devotees in white kurtas, white dhotis, saris in red, yellow and orange, and a woman in a red sari with a grey shawl stands along the edges, many watching in silence. A small red bucket and a brass pot sit at the pit's edge.2008-12-31Outdoors under a bright sky and palm trees, a long rectangular trench of white-hot embers or ash is being raked by men in white clothes with long wooden poles, while a crowd of devotees stands behind a white rope barrier. Many women wear white sarees with yellow borders, and a man in a bright lime-green kurta with a lanyard stands at the front. Tents with white canopies and red-and-white bunting line the background. A metal drum with a red cloth cover is at the right edge. The scene appears to be a fire-walking or ember-ritual preparation during a festival.2008-12-31December 31 20082008-12-31Outdoor photo of a fire-walk ritual at a palm-lined ground under bright sun. A barefoot devotee in white dhoti and shirt walks across a bed of glowing embers, with a smoking trench before him. Crowds of devotees in white and cream sarees, dhotis and kurtas, some in saffron and green, stand behind a rope barrier. A man in a white shirt and dhoti with a rudraksha mala holds a drum at right, and a man in a white kurta bends at the trench edge. White tents and coconut palms form the backdrop; a red bucket sits at left.2008-12-31