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Night-time temple ritual under a canopy hung with marigold garlands. Three men seated on a striped cloth in front of a decorated shrine; they wear bare upper bodies with white body markings, orange dhotis and sacred threads, and are reading or chanting from palm-leaf or paper texts. Behind them a golden arched niche holds deity murtis and a raised peetha adorned with garlands, banana plants flank the shrine, and brass vessels, a kalasha, flower baskets and a plate of rice sit on the cloth in front. Large statues flank the scene.

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December 19 20162016-12-19A nighttime ritual at a temple-style shrine decorated with marigold garlands, banana leaves and strings of lights. Behind the ritual platform stands a large deity murti pair adorned with flower garlands and a yellow cloth. In the centre, a fire pit on wooden tiers holds a small flame amid scattered marigold petals, with brass vessels and a kalasha-like bowl. Five men in white dhotis with yellow or orange shawls sit around it, one with an orange headband speaking to another who holds a small object. Seated devotees in the foreground and a microphone on the red mat complete the scene of a homa-style ritual.2016-12-05December 19 20162016-12-19April 27 20182018-04-27Night ritual photograph in a covered pavilion with a red-and-striped mat stage. In the foreground, several priests in saffron and orange dhotis, some bare-chested and wearing garlands, sit before a fire pit where flames rise and an attendant pours or tends the offering. Behind them, decorated altar arches framed in gold hold deity murtis and ornate statues garlanded with yellow and orange flowers, with banana plants and a marigold canopy overhead. Bronze and brass puja vessels, banana-leaf and plantain offerings, flower baskets and a bowl of white food sit on the mat. On the right, a few seated devotees and attendants in white and dark clothing watch, and a small group of bystanders is at the lower right edge. The scene suggests a homa or pooja ceremony.2016-12-19December 02 20162016-12-02A photograph of a Meenakshi Tirukalyanam ritual staged before a golden arched backdrop with elaborately garlanded deity murtis, including a seated and a standing form adorned with flower garlands and jewellery. In the centre foreground, a man in a white turban and red dhoti seated before a fire pit (homa) of stacked bricks, with a flame rising from a vessel and metal bowls of offerings and flowers around him. To the left, a man in an orange turban and saffron-orange garments sits on a mat, and beside the fire a priest in a red-brown dhoti pours from a vessel. On the right, a man in an orange turban and red garments with flower garlands sits beside the fire. Brass pots, kalasha-style vessels and rose petals lie on the floor.2015-04-30Night puja at a temple shrine decorated with yellow and orange marigold garlands and green banana leaves. Central image of a deity murti is adorned with white and red flower garlands and a crown, set on a golden-yellow cloth throne with ornate silver-and-gold arched frames. Four attendants in saffron-orange dhotis stand in front: a bare-chested priest holds a tray, another holds a lamp, a third raises an arm toward the deity, and a fourth in a yellow dhoti stands at right. Silver lamps and brass vessels rest on the floor, with a colourful striped mat in the foreground. Two dark statues of attendant figures flank the shrine, one at right wearing white and garlands.2016-12-19A photograph of a homa ritual in a temple hall. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl sits cross-legged before a yellow-brick fire pit with offerings, hands folded in prayer, with a microphone on a stand before him. Beside him sits a man in saffron-orange robes and a garland, hands resting on his lap. Behind them are three decorated shrines with deity murtis garlanded in red, yellow and white flowers, and a bowl of flower petals and turmeric sits on a plate in front. Brass lamps and a kalasha are in the frame.2011-11-29 +1 copiesJanuary 07th 20152015-01-07 +1 copiesFebruary 02 20162016-02-02December 19 20162016-12-19